Lumka Oliphant apologises for expletives, offensive language

She said her Facebook rant was irresponsible, unfortunate and regrettable, but defended her decision to defend her boss.

FILE PICTURE: Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. (Photo: GCIS)

Social development spokesperson Lumka Oliphant has apologised for her controversial Facebook post in defence of Minister Bathabile Dlamini, saying she takes full responsibility for her offensive and expletive remarks. However, she maintains that she could not keep silent while people spread lies about her boss.

Oliphant made headlines last week after using inflammatory language on the social network following a Daily Sun report (initially incorrectly attributed to The Citizen as the source) claiming that the minister was drunk at an official event.

Speaking to Talk Radio 702 on Monday morning, Oliphant said that the “malicious” rumours about Dlamini’s alleged drinking habits had been making the rounds since last year. She admitted her Facebook rant was irresponsible, unfortunate and regrettable.

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In her post, which went viral and has since been deleted, Oliphant started by warning her boss’s haters, saying she was very capable of tearing apart someone and taking a Facebook or Twitter conversation to the streets.

So if you’re about to say any “sh*t” about her boss, be warned.

“If it were all up to [Dlamini], South Africa would not be drinking, there would be no advertising. So okukun*a nihlala nikuthetha, nikubhala is just that – kukun*a (so the sh*t you always write and talk about is just that – sh*t),” she wrote.

Oliphant said she did not have a problem with people who said whatever they wanted about her politics, as it was part of the game. All she was asking was for people not to talk “sh*t” about her.

“Just know that from today on, I have decided to take this alcohol matter where you have taken it.”

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