It's crafty for politicians to never take responsibility for their actions but blame the media when questioned.
Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula came out to pledge her loyalty to the government yesterday after having contradicted President Cyril Ramaphosa. She told parliament on Sunday that there was no proof that the recent unrest which left over 200 people dead was an insurrection attempt.
The minister said the riots, which caused damage estimated to be worth billions of rand, were acts of "thuggery". This was contrary to what Ramaphosa said in his national address on Friday where he said the mayhem was a failed insurrection bid.
He also repeated his statements at an ANC Mandela Day event on Sunday, saying: "It is clear now the events of the past week were a deliberate, co-ordinated and well-planned attack on our democracy, on our economy and our people’s livelihoods."
Acting minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the following day said Mapisa-Nqakula's statements were not true.
The defence minister then spoke to eNCA yesterday where she blamed the media for portraying her in an unfavourable manner, as somebody who was disloyal and had contradicted the president. She looked annoyed as she called out the media for reporting what she said.
The facts speak for themselves in this matter; Mapisa-Nqakula came two days later and said there was no evidence to back up what Ramaphosa said on Friday. How is she now portrayed as a silly little girl who is disloyal by the media? Did the media write her address to parliament? Or was she briefed differently by the military?
Mapisa-Nqakula should have used the television platform to take responsibility for her utterances, explain to the nation why she had said something completely different from what her government had communicated. The trick of blaming the media whenever one is in trouble is old and tried and people can see through it.
Journalists, doing their job of informing the masses, reported what was said and compared the contradiction in statements from the same cabinet. Minister, own up to your mistakes and leave reporters out of it, nobody is out there to get you.
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