EC municipal speaker fails to explain why she went to church service

The Eastern Cape’s Ingquza Hill municipal speaker, Ntandokazi Capa, has missed a deadline set by Cogta MEC Xolile Nqatha to explain why she contravened lockdown regulations when she attended a Good Friday church service hosted by the municipality.

According to Nqatha, Capa had until Wednesday to produce a reason for attending the church service.

“There was a mutual agreement that she would give me her explanation by Wednesday but she missed the date. I will speak to her to find out the reasons for the delay,” he told News24.

On Friday, News24 reported on a video, which emerged on social media, showing Capa allegedly contravening lockdown regulations. Capa is the daughter of the deputy minister of small business development, Zoleka Capa.

The video, which was posted on the Eastern Cape municipality’s Facebook page, shows her entering a hall along with several church leaders as well as former Ingquza Hill mayor Pat Mdingi for a Good Friday church service.

At least 20 people, who are shown without masks or gloves, enter the hall as church music plays in the background.

In the footage, attendees are shown seated a chair away from each other to observe social distancing while one pastor after the other gives a sermon.

In a letter to the provincial ANC shortly after the News24 report, Capa said the broadcast was aimed at ensuring that residents stay at home and observe lockdown regulations.

“The municipality believes the broadcast has yielded the desired outcome as church services in the area remained suspended.

“I also note comments made by opposition parties which claim that we are perpetuating ignorance in rural areas and the myth that the novel Covid-19 virus targets a specific group of people. This cheap shot at trivialising our efforts in raising awareness is just that, cheap.

“The municipality continues to encourage residents to stay at home and wash your hands or sanitise regularly,” she wrote.

The DA in the OR Tambo region said it would lay charges against Capa for contravening lockdown regulations.