Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson should apologise for invading First Lady Zanele Mbeki’s privacy, said Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on Monday.
Mlambo-Ngcuka called Gibson’s behaviour ”an invasion of Mrs Mbeki’s privacy and injurious to her dignity as a citizen”, indefensible and ”unbecoming of a senior parliamentarian”, said her spokesperson Thabang Chiloane in a statement.
This follows Friday’s visit by Gibson and a group of journalists to the house that Mbeki is building in Johannesburg.
The developer said the cost of construction is about R8-million and that the state is paying the cost of the security arrangements. Gibson wants details of the cost to taxpayers. The state pays for security arrangements for presidents and former presidents.
The deputy president made the call in her capacity as leader of government business in Parliament, said Chiloane.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said the disrespect for Mbeki came ”from a leader of a political party which purports to respect private property and individual freedoms”.
She called on Gibson to apologise publicly and unconditionally to Mbeki. — Sapa