Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtsweni visited various voter registration stations to assess progress, as well as to encourage the citizens to go register to vote for the upcoming elections. However, she received backlash after one photograph circulated on social media.
Mtsweni interacted with the Emakhazeni Local Municipality residents including elderly woman, Gogo Khethemaya Gumbi, sitting in a veranda made of corrugated iron outside her RDP house.
“During discussions with the Premier regarding Gogo Gumbi’s registration status and to establish whether there is a need for a special vote registration, Gogo requested an ANC T-shirt, and further requested that the Premier assist her on putting it on, due to her advanced age. A request that the Premier acceded to as portrayed in the image circulating on social media. It must be noted that there were a number of photographs of the Premier and Gogo Gumbi interacting,” reads a statement.
Social media users criticised her for giving the old lady a t-shirt instead of building her a decent house. Here are some tweets:
https://twitter.com/LeboKeswa/status/1089429047589986305
25 years later and the ANC has no shame about walking into people’s homes whose lives haven’t changed but worsened over the years, only to hand out t-shirts and flyers.
It’s an insult. It’s heartless.
South Africans deserve so much better than this. #RegisterForChange pic.twitter.com/4AF2Q8lpwp
— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) January 27, 2019
The only thing ANC can do for this woman is to give her a disgusting yellow t-shirt while her living condition need urgent intervention #VoteEFF . pic.twitter.com/mjLzuMcJqg
— EFFJoziGroundForces (@Effgroundforces) January 26, 2019
Premier’s spokesperson Zibonele Mncwango’s response in a statement:
Mtsweni’s spokesperson, Zibonele Mncwango said during her interactions, the premier noted Gogo Gumbi’s deteriorating health and the need for intervention by the Department of Social Development.
“The Premier instructed the provincial departments of health and social development to ensure that Gogo Gumbi receives immediate medical attention and the assignment of social workers to intervene in the social dynamics adversely affecting uGogo.”
“The Premier rejects the negative perception created on social media portraying her as seeking votes at the expense of the destitute. She will never ignore the plight of the people in line with the caring nature of the ANC-led government, said Mncwango.
