Jabu Mbalula, the acting premier of the Free State, has asked people not to share the leaked photo of Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae in the hospital.
The premier took what is known as a medical leave of absence from work on Friday.
After being sworn in on Thursday, Mbalula, the ANC secretary-general’s brother, assumed leadership of the provincial government on Friday.
In his appeal to the public, especially the residents of the Free State, Mbalula said: “The Free State provincial government is calling on the public to refrain from circulating or sharing a leaked image of premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae following her medical procedure.
Invasion of privacy
“This image is a blatant invasion of the premier’s privacy and contravenes the Protection of Personal Information Act.”
He criticised the image’s dissemination, stating that “we must respect the premier’s privacy during this time”.
“Sharing or circulating this image is not only unethical but also undermines her right to dignity and privacy, as protected by our constitution.’’
He urged people to be understanding and compassionate so that Letsoha-Mathae could recuperate in peace.
“We appreciate the public’s interest in the premier’s wellbeing, but we must balance this with respect for her privacy,” he said.
Letsoha-Mathae faced harsh criticism and attacks after it was claimed that she had a corrupt relationship with Patrick Phuti, the tenderpreneur of New Beginnings Projects, a service provider whose R269-million government road maintenance contract was abruptly terminated.
Criticism from ANC circles
Phuti became enraged following the revelation of WhatsApp messages that implicated him of having a corrupt relationship with Letsoha-Mathae and Lawrence Mathae, the Mangaung council speaker.
According to Luthuli House insiders, Letsoha-Mathae was advised to take a break from her increasingly complicated job due to the constant criticism she receives from the public, ANC circles, and opposition parties in the province.
Prior to her leave, the premier had declared that she was reorganising department heads in order to implement a new governance plan for the province’s advancement.
In October, the EFF in the Free State protested against the premier, demanding that she step down from her top position.
The red berets said that the premier’s management style was destroying the province.
