Parliament portfolio committee will not summon MacG to account for remarks about Minnie Dlamini

“The majority of members are not in favour of us proceeding as [the] deputy minister requested,” she said. “We will not be calling MacG to the portfolio committee at this stage.”

Van der Merwe said Dlamini had not approached the committee nor opened a case with the police regarding the matter. She also highlighted that if the committee agreed to bring MacG to parliament, they would need to bring in every person affected by a similar issue.

“If we decide to continue with the mandate of hearing one case, it will mean the portfolio committee would have to extend to every other person. We cannot be selective in choosing one case.

“If we deem that to be our mandate then it’s something we have to consistently apply, meaning we would have to hear all other cyberbullying or gender violence cases that happen online, and I don’t think we have the capacity to do so.

 “We would like to align ourselves as the portfolio committee with the deputy minister in rejecting MacG’s comments as vile and it must be rejected with the contempt it deserves.” 

EFF MP Sihke Lonzi accused Letsike of prioritising this matter more than other issues affecting her department.

“That calls to question what makes this, if it is not grandstanding or populism or selective activism. Why must parliament be dragged to this particular case? If you were looking at cyberbullying as a whole, it could fall under the portfolio committee of digital communications.” 

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