Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has apologised for swearing at a resident during a community engagement in Loerie in the Eastern Cape, saying she accepts full responsibility for her outburst “after being subjected to profane language”.
Majodina was in Kouga Local Municipality on 9 September for the launch of the upgraded Loerie sewer pump station when the engagement with residents descended into chaos.
The video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows a resident being escorted from the meeting after an apparent altercation, with Majodina heard telling him to leave before responding to an insult with the words: “Jou ma se p***.”
AfriForum has launched a petition calling for Majodina’s removal from the ANC.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said on Saturday that he had asked Majodina to provide a report on what had happened.
“I’ve asked for a report for that. So, we are looking into that in terms of ascertaining what happened,” Mbalula said.
He said he had seen the video circulating on social media but wanted to hear Majodina’s account of the events.
The minister has acknowledged that she responded inappropriately, describing it as an “unfortunate incident”.
“In the heat of the moment, I reacted after being subjected to profane language. I take full responsibility for my conduct and deeply regret responding by using the same words directed at me,” she said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
She apologised to the people of Kouga and to South Africans, while also appealing to members of the public to maintain respect during difficult community engagements.
“I also appeal to members of the public that, even when engagements become difficult or emotions run high, we must strive to maintain reciprocal respect and ensure that our interactions remain constructive.
“While public representatives are human and can, like anyone else, experience moments of frustration, this does not diminish the responsibility we carry to remain composed,” she said.
The Democratic Alliance has lodged an ethics complaint against Majodina, while ActionSA has also called for scrutiny of her conduct. The DA has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to act against the minister.
The meeting was convened after completion of the Loerie sewer infrastructure project, as part of an engagement intended to give residents an opportunity to receive feedback and raise concerns.
The incident came as Kouga continues to grapple with water security pressures linked to a prolonged drought in the Eastern Cape.
In April, the municipality said combined storage stood at 40.11% and that restrictions of 10% had been imposed on domestic allocations from the Kouga Dam, while a 25% restriction applied to domestic allocations from the Kromme system, including the Churchill and Impofu dams.
The municipality has identified Loerie, among other areas, as a priority for drought-mitigation interventions.
Kouga’s revised drought mitigation plan followed the National Disaster Management Centre’s classification of the drought as a disaster in January. The municipality said it was pursuing measures including groundwater development, borehole rehabilitation, treatment-works upgrades and emergency water supplies.
Majodina said meaningful community engagement required mutual respect but acknowledged that public representatives carried a particular responsibility to remain composed. “I accept that responsibility and will continue to learn from this experience.”
She said she remained committed to engaging communities, listening to their concerns and serving South Africans “with humility, accountability and dedication”.