5 things Lindiwe Zulu has said about the Sassa water cannon incident

Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu again responded to criticism and questions around her involvement in the water-bombing of SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant applicants in Bellville last Friday

Zulu was at the Cape Town office last week when police turned a water cannon on grant applicants after they refused to social distance in the queue. Human rights organisation the Black Sash called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene, and accused the minister of  “shameful and shocking disregard for the human rights of vulnerable beneficiaries, many of whom are disabled and chronically ill”.

Before the incident, Zulu instructed the applicants, from a police vehicle, to maintain social distancing.

She told the parliamentary portfolio committee on social development that she got into the police vehicle to use their loud hailer to address the crowd. She denied running away from the applicants and said she instructed the police to stop spraying them.

In addition to her comments in parliament, the minister has addressed the controversy both on social media and to journalists at the offices.

Here is what she has had to say:

'We interacted with the people'

“I was there together with the CEO of Sassa and everybody. The first thing we did - we never ran to the police or anybody - we had to deal with the people right there in the queues, speak to them and express ourselves and request that they keep to the distance and all,” she told the committee on Wednesday.

'I asked the police to stop water-bombing'

“I, this very Lindiwe Zulu, asked the police to stop what they were doing because I didn't think it was a good thing for them to do.

“I am clarifying publicly that this Lindiwe Zulu can never ask the police to spray the people, worse of all people with vulnerabilities, who are in wheelchairs, who are with children. I can never be found in a space like that,” she told the committee.

'The situation was getting out of hand'

“Nobody would ever want to use water cannons just for the sake of it. The bottom line is that the situation was really getting out of hand and people were refusing to social distance and queue,” she told journalists in Bellville.

'Grow up!'

“You’ll be a minister one good day. If not, you’ll be responsible for somebody or something and you’ll be confronted with situations. Grow up!” she told a critic on Instagram.

It's complicated

“You will grow up to the challenges of the world. I hope you rise to the occasion,” she told another critic on Instagram.