Social development minister Bathabile Dlamini does does not have an impressive track record when it comes to commenting on matters involving her department. This weekend she again made remarks deemed inappropriate by South Africans.
She stated that the assault case against deputy minister of higher education Mduduzi Manana was being used as a political tool by opposition parties.
"I don't want to be part of those games of saying ... [should] he resign or not," she told the Sunday Times in an interview.
"Even in other parties there is sexual harassment and it's not treated the way it's treated in the ANC. And I refuse that this issue be made a political tool. It's not a political tool."
As the leader of the ANC Women's League, it seems shocking that she would say this. In the interview with Sunday Times, she said there were many other ANC cadres who had done worse.
Manana was charged with assault on Monday after he allegedly hit Mandisa Duma at a Fourways restaurant, causing injuries. He admitted to the crime in a sound recording, saying the victims had provoked him by calling him gay. Another woman has since come forward also accusing Manana of assault in Ermelo. This is not the first time that Dlamini uttered controversial words. Here are other instances where her comments were met with backlash.
Dlamini said her "conscience" did not land her in Parliament
She was addressing a crowd of ANC supporters outside Parliament last week ahead of the vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma when she said her "conscience" did not land her in Parliament.
The majority of parliament voted against the motion.
Dlamini was one of several party leaders to address the crowd‚ as ANC MPs rallied around Zuma before votes were tallied.
The minister said grant money is enough to to buy adequate food as well as additional non-food items
Dlamini caused a stir in Parliament last year when she said that R753 grant money and R1146.57 for pensioners was sufficient to buy groceries.
This was in response to a Democratic Alliance parliamentary question.
"...These beneficiaries (of a pension of R1146.57) should have enough to buy adequate food as well as additional non-food items." the minister said at the time.
The DA's social development spokeswoman Bridget Masango called Dlamini's response "uncaring".
"The truth is that the recent increases to social grants were well below food inflation, and this has diminished the buying power of the most vulnerable in our society, making it harder for them to put food on the table," Masango said.
Everyone in the ANC NEC has their "smallanyana skeletons," according to Dlamini
Dlamini also delivered on of the most memorable quotes of recent times, when she defended her party against criticism. She said everyone in the ANC's national executive committee had their "smallanyana skeletons" and that it shouldn't come out "because all hell will break loose".
Dlamini was speaking to the SABC while she was attending the commission on the status of women in New York last year.
In the same interview, she confirmed she had not had any interactions with the infamous Gupta family.