- KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu "deeply regrets" not wearing her mask during a her surprise birthday party.
- The apology comes after videos surfaced of party guests seen dancing at the celebration without wearing masks.
- Simelane-Zulu will be writing a formal report to the premier.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has said she "deeply regrets" not masking up during a performance at a surprise birthday lunch in her honour on Sunday.
The provincial health ministry issued a statement following a series of videos from her party on social media, where guests were seen dancing without wearing any face masks.
According to the MEC, she accepted an invitation to a purported meeting, which turned out to be a surprise lunch for her birthday. The lunch took place at a private venue and was organised and attended by close family and friends of hers, she said.
"Upon her arrival, the MEC first expressed her surprise and noted that there was adequate social distancing. She then personally conducted a headcount of those who were in attendance, which showed that there were 36 people on site," the ministry said in a statement.
The office added that she had gone on to encourage those in attendance to adhere to social distancing and constantly use the hand sanitiser that was freely available at the venue.
There were ostensibly two main tables at this "sizeable and well-ventilated" venue, with some of the attendees opting to be seated on the veranda.
"There was a time during a brief musical performance where the guests stood up and danced, unfortunately without wearing their masks, as they were still in the process of eating," the statement said.
The ministry said:
She would be submitting a formal report to the premier on the incident, the statement added.