Phumzile van Damme to Mzwanele Manyi: 'You have said and done some crazy and dumb things'

DA MP Phumzile van Damme has taken shots at African Transformation Movement (ATM) founder Mzwanele Manyi, calling his recent letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa “crazy and dumb”.

On Monday, Manyi called for Ramaphosa to meet political party leaders before his next Covid-19 address, which is yet to be announced.

According to the ATM leader, the meeting would be an opportunity for the president to clarify some issues that have, allegedly, been causing divisions among South Africans, including his conversation with Bill Gates about Covid-19 in Africa.

“All we are asking is for the record to be set straight on these matters to unite the country in fighting Covid-19.”

Weighing in on the call, Van Damme suggested that the ATM was using the public to perpetuate conspiracy theories about the global pandemic.

She slammed Manyi for fuelling the disinformation that Gates had discussed Covid-19 vaccines being tested in Africa, something Gates has never done.

“You have said and done some pretty crazy and dumb things, but this here takes the cake,” Van Damme said to Manyi.

The DA's shadow minister of communications criticised communications and digital technologies minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for not tackling fake news.

“Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, is asleep at the wheel while dangerous and life-threatening fake news and disinformation about Covid-19 runs rampant,” she said.