Members of Parliament have said that they want Minister Lindiwe Zulu to resign as well as offer an apology. They believe that she is disrespecting the elderly and most vulnerable in South Africa and have even brought up the conversation of corruption in discussing Zulu's announcements for her Department.
The Minister of Social Development delivered a statement in the National Assembly on 30 July where she spoke about all that her Department has done during this unusual time. However, the responses to this statement was not as positive as she received many criticisms from fellow politicians.
The Department received R50 billion to provide support, distributed 1,2 million food parcel as well as paud hundreds of thousands of rands to NGOs. However, DA's Bridgette Masango responded and said that not enough was done.
Masango went on and said, “She should issue an unconditional apology to the millions of South Africans who have been victims of her lack of leadership, and of her being removed from the reality of the people she has the privilege of serving. After the apology, the honourable minister must do the honourable thing and vacate her position".
Some members of Parliament even said that Zulu's statement reminded them of corruption and suffering and that it was "completely out of touch with reality".
Opposition parties want Zulu to tackle issues such as gender based violence and child abuse cases in the country seeing an increase, poor South Africans who were left in the cold outside SASSA offices and SASSA not answering their phones.
Zulu said. "As expected social development rose to the challenge to defend South African against the Covid-19 pandemic through the administration of social relief stimulus package".
On gender based violence and homeless support in South Africa, she said that the GBV command centre call centre received 76 000 calls and 13 000 homeless people were provided with accommodation and other support in 177 shelters.
“Having listened to the minister, I am sadly disappointed, yet again. I am disappointed because South Africans have been understanding and patient in the face of ferocious hunger and starvation,” said Masango.
IFP's Liezl van der Merwe commented, “The Covid-19 pandemic has sadly revealed that our permanent pandemic is that of corruption. It has shown us that when the ANC tells us about a better life for all, what they mean is a better life for their cadres — cadres before country, cadres before lives and livelihoods".
