Mtsweni-Tsipane apologises for not wearing mask, accepts fine
She previously claimed that it was an error that her face mask had fallen off, and that she was only without her mask for a brief period.
Mpumalanga premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane has apologised for not complying with the lockdown and state of disaster regulations after she was captured on national TV not wearing a mask in public during the funeral of the late minister Jackson Mthembu on Sunday.
Mtsweni-Tsipane signed an admission of guilt at the Vosman police station in Emalahleni on Monday and accepted a fine for failing to wear a mask, which can be up to R1,500 according to the Disaster Management Act.
The premier has also wrote a letter of apology to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza after many social media users called upon Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to arrest Mtsweni-Tsipane or erase the criminal records of all people who were arrested for not wearing masks.
Cele had since requested National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole to investigate the matter.
The minister revealed in December that police had arrested more than 342 000 people since the beginning of the lockdown, with thousands of them now having criminal records.
Meanwhile, Mtsweni-Tsipane has bought 1,000 masks to be distributed to the eMalahleni community and would go into self-isolation for a period of 14 days.
She previously claimed that it was an error that her face mask had fallen off, and that she was only without her mask for a brief period.
No mask. The premier of Mpumalanga not leading by example. I hope the President will take action. @PresidencyZA @MYANC pic.twitter.com/2uK52C3Tln
— Sophie Mokoena (@Sophie_Mokoena) January 24, 2021
Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Read original story on citizen.co.za
