Fikile Mbalula, South Africa's Minister of Transport, is facing a charge of crimen injuria and contempt lodged by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane whom he called a hired gun, not a public protector, in a Twitter post at the weekend.
Mkhwebane opened the case at the Brooklyn police station yesterday.
The ANC appears to be divided on whether she is fit to hold office, with secretary-general Ace Magashule telling the Sunday Times that 'principled' MPs would not side with the DA in their motion to have her removed from office.
It’s not the first time that Mbalula’s Twitter enthusiasm has put him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
In January this year the Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) called him out for sowing confusion after tweeting misleading comments in December about the extension of the validity of vehicle licenses.
They accused him of “falsely and irresponsibly” tweeting that the validity of vehicle licenses had been extended – when it was only learners’ and drivers’ licenses and professional driving permits that had expired from March 26 to December 2020, and which had been granted a grace period until August 31.
The tweet was removed.
