City Press reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called the apology by Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana for allegedly a woman at a nightclub an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.  

The deputy minister and some of his friends were at the Cubana restaurant in Fourways in the early hours of Sunday morning when he assaulted Mandisa Duma.  The altercation is alleged to have been as a result of Manana being called “gay”, something he took offence to.  He has admitted to slapping Duma, and since apologised to both her and the staff at Cubana.  In his statement, Manana stated:  “Regardless of the extreme provocation, I should have exercised restraint.”  Numsa acting spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi said this was an attempt to justify the unjustifiable.  She called on government to act swiftly by setting an example and arresting Manana in order “to send a clear message to perpetrators”.

• Read this report by Avantika Seeth in full at City Press
• See too, Numsa calls for Manana's head, at eNCA
• Numsa’s press statement in this regard is at Politicsweb

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page