Johannesburg – The war between Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and South Africa’s presidential communications team continues to rampage.
This comes after Sisulu released a statement on Friday, where she claimed that the statement from the Presidency distorts her meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
On Thursday evening, the Presidency, in a statement, claimed Sisulu apologised for her comments on the Judiciary.
Sisulu then distanced herself from the statement released by the government shortly after.
The presidency then hit out at the minister, stating that it stood by its initial statement.
In the latest development on the matter, Sisulu denies issuing a retraction and says she stands by her statement.
Sisulu says she disowns the Presidency’s statement saying she has apologised and stands by her statement.
Sisulu confirmed that she had a meeting with the President but said there was no agreement that she would retract her remarks or apologise, and it was mischief on the part of the presidency to say she did.
“We had a mature and sensible meeting and thus concluded on good terms. In fact, yesterday (Thursday) the President called me and read the specific sentence as redesigned that he had found offensive. We ended our discussion on an amicable base,” Sisulu said.
She further said that she respected the Office of the Presidency and the president himself. However, she wanted to affirm on record that she was troubled “that the president’s media team was deliberately mischievous”.
“… at no point in the conversation was (the minister) firstly admonished or secondly expressed regrets resulting in agreeing to withdraw or apologise for her article, but agreed to reconsider the particular line relating to the judiciary which the president had raised the issue with and was to share with her,” the statement read.
Late on Thursday, the Presidency reiterated that Ramaphosa stood by his initial statement, in which he said he admonished her and she had agreed to retract and apologise.
Statement on article by Minister of Tourism Ms Lindiwe Sisulu https://t.co/zulcWaeHN9
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) January 20, 2022
Here's the statement from the Minister Sisulu's office #LindiweSisulu pic.twitter.com/r3rup0aTkr
— Black Queen (@NdlovuPowen) January 21, 2022
Minister Lindiwe Sisulu distances herself from President @PresidencyZA statement claiming that she apologised for her comments in black Judges. Your move Pres @CyrilRamaphosa pic.twitter.com/lRKihqrQp5
— Sbu Ngalwa (@sbungalwa) January 20, 2022
Also read: Sisulu distances herself from apology statement by presidency
Minister Sisulu apologises for her attack on judiciary
Sisulu takes page out of Zuma’s playbook as she takes on Cyril
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