Journalists leave after Bathabile Dlamini keeps them waiting
No excuses or explanation was forthcoming about the Minister’s absence and after waiting more than two hours, journalists decided to call it a day and leave.
POLOKWANE – More than 20 journalists from local and national media houses, radio stations and television stations, left a media conference to be held by Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini en masse, after a two-hour long wait for the minister to pitch up at a press conference at a venue some 30 km from Polokwane.
Journalists from Gauteng already hit the road at 05:45 to be in time for the press conference which was scheduled for 10:00.
Journalists were anonymous in their verdict that journalists always want news, but politicians also want their stories to be published and should show respect for journalists’ time too.
The journalists were invited for a breakfast session at the Ranch hotel and other MECs for Social Development were also in attendance. The session aimed at affording journalists an opportunity to interact with the Minister on issues around the SASSA payment system.
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The Minister earlier this week also did not pitch up for a hearing with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
