Opposition parties in KwaZulu-Natal have lashed out at ANC provincial chairperson Siboniso Duma, saying his “behaviour” during the parade of the Springboks' Rugby World Cup trophy in Durban on Saturday “undermined” premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
A video of the incident, taken at the Durban City Hall, has been making the rounds on social media.
In the clip, Duma, MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs (Edtea), stands outside the Durban City Hall with Dube-Ncube and Springbok rugby player, Eben Etzebeth, in between them.
eThekwini municipality official Eric Appelgren says: “We are just going to have the premier with the cup for a photo and we are done.”
But Duma, to Etzebeth’s left, grabs the trophy with the Springbok lock, raising it slightly out of reach for Dube-Ncube, who only manages to get fingers on it. As the crowd cheers Etzebeth and Duma lift the trophy, and the premier waves instead.
After the incident, deemed “awkward” and “cringeworthy”, the EFF in KZN said Duma was “persistently bullying and undermining” Dube-Ncube because she is a woman.
The party said the ANC was showing its true colours in its disrespect to woman leadership and authority in its ranks.
“They sold the people of KZN a lie when they pretended as if they supported a female to be the premier of KZN. It is quite clear now for South Africa to see that Duma is intolerant and completely disgusted to be led by a woman. He despises a woman who comes from the very same organisation he leads Dube-Ncube ... must be given the respect that she deserves,” said the EFF.
The DA leader in KZN, Francois Rodgers, said the incident was “embarrassing” for the province and should have never happened.
Rodgers said the ANC in the province must intervene to ensure their members respect the leadership of the premier.
It’s an embarrassment, and the MEC must know his position. This was not the first time such a thing happened when the MEC bullies the premier, and that should not be allowed. It was clearly announced that the premier must lift the trophy, not the KZN ANC chairperson or MEC
— Francois Rodgers, DA leader in KZN
“It’s an embarrassment, and the MEC must know his position. This was not the first time such a thing happened when the MEC bullies the premier, and that should not be allowed. It was clearly announced that the premier must lift the trophy, not the KZN ANC chairperson or MEC,” said Rodgers.
On social media, some also blasted Duma’s behaviour, saying he was not supposed to be on stage in the first place.
However, the ANC in the province dismissed claims of bullying and undermining by Duma towards the premier and said they indicated degeneration from the opposition parties.
ANC KZN spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said if Duma wanted to be a premier he would’ve forwarded his name as he was the one chairing a meeting that elected Dube-Ncube.
Mndebele said this incident could be attributed to Dube-Ncube being shorter than Etzebeth and Duma.
“The premier could not lift the cup higher than the chairperson and [Etzebeth]. There is really nothing more. It’s not like where they say the premier must address but then the chairperson stood up and addressed,” he said.
“The Rugby World Cup inspired a positive mood in almost everyone, and everyone would have been excited. To take a small thing such as lifting up the cup as a strategic question tells you how petty opposition parties are. We will allow pixie people to be petty because they also like to shout as much as possible and point at other people as being what they are.”
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