Politics

'This is distasteful' - Fikile Mbalula slammed for 'tone-deaf' Covid-19 'joke'

17 July 2020 - 11:04 By Cebelihle Bhengu
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Fikile Mbalula upset some people with an ínsensitive remark when he spoke on the amended lockdown regulations for the transport industry.
Fikile Mbalula upset some people with an ínsensitive remark when he spoke on the amended lockdown regulations for the transport industry.
Image: Twitter/Fikile Mbalula

Fikile Mbalula is getting backlash on social media for what was perceived as an insensitive  Covid-19 “joke”. The transport minister gave an update on amended Covid-19 regulations during the economic cluster briefing on Thursday.

Seemingly taking a jab at his critics, Mbalula warned that the virus is no longer a “theory”.

He continued: “It hits at home, takes your wife while you’re busy talking in the streets, ‘Mbalula minister of transport, yada-yada,’ Nozuko dies at home.”

At the time of his address, SA had 324,221 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4,669 deaths related to the virus.

One critic said, “this is a slap in the face to everyone who passed away from the virus and the survivors who fought tooth and nail to survive Covid-19. Families are grieving because of this thing. So insensitive.” 

People had this to say:

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