Phumzile Van Damme and Mmusi Maimane throw shade at ministers in Twitter challenge

DA MP Phumzile Van Damme and One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane were among dozens who took to social media on Wednesday to participate in the “The minister” challenge, throwing serious shade at current cabinet members.

The challenge was a drag-fest with some users posting pictures of ministers alongside pictures depicting scenes of failed service delivery.

Popular targets included minister of basic education Angie Motshekga, police minister Bheki Cele and transport minister Fikile Mbalula.

Maimane took aim at Motshekga, posting a screenshot of a Daily Maverick report detailing how R22m was allegedly spent on a school where only the foundation had been laid.

He called it “heartbreaking” and claimed Motshekga's department was “stealing the future from our young people”.

“If I could change only one department in this country it would be the department of basic education. They are holding the potential of this nation back and they have the audacity to pretend they are doing a good job. I think about their incompetence daily and its levels never cease to amaze me,” he added.

Van Damme posted a snap of Cele, alongside a mocking picture of the police.

She also shared several other posts from the trend created by other Twitter users, including of Motshekga next to a picture of a rural school used in a report by education publication  Inside Education earlier this year.

The challenge found its way on to the Twitter trends list as others joined in with their own posts shading the government.