Ndabeni-Abrahams placed on special leave, with salary docked

President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed his communications minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, on “special leave” for two months for allegedly flouting national lockdown regulations.

The minister will also have a month’s salary docked as punishment for travelling to former deputy minister of higher education & training Mduduzi Manana’s house for lunch. Manana posted a picture of the minister having lunch with him on social media, but he has subsequently deleted the post.

In a statement on Wednesday, the presidency said the minister will be placed on special leave for two months, one month of which will be unpaid leave.

“As to allegations that the minister violated the lockdown regulations, this law should take its course.”

The presidency said Ramaphosa “summoned” Ndabeni-Abrahams on Tuesday to express his “disapproval of the minister’s actions, which undermine the requirement that all citizens stay at home and save South Africa from the spread of the coronavirus”.

“The president accepted the minister’s apology for the violation but was unmoved by mitigating factors she tendered.”

‘Absolute compliance’

Jackson Mthembu, the minister in the presidency, will act as communications minister for two months in Ndabeni-Abrahams’ absence.

“The nationwide lockdown calls for absolute compliance on the part of all South Africans,” Ramaphosa said.

“Members of the national executive carry a special responsibility in setting an example to South Africans, who are having to make great sacrifices.

“None of us — not least a member of the national executive — should undermine our national effort to save lives in this very serious situation. I am satisfied that minister Ndabeni-Abrahams appreciates the seriousness of what she has done and that no one is above the law,” the president said. — (c) 2020 NewsCentral Media