- Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele has denied that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was kicked out of a Cabinet meeting by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- Gungubele said the accusations were malicious.
- A Sunday newspaper reported that Mbalula was kicked out because he had failed to prepare for the meeting.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was not asked to leave a Cabinet meeting because he was unprepared to read his meeting memorandums.
This is according to Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele, who denied a report by the Sunday Independent.
The newspaper reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa had asked Mbalula to leave a Cabinet meeting for failing to prepare.
"Government rejects the mischievous article by the Sunday Independent newspaper, which alleges that President Ramaphosa asked Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to leave a meeting for being unprepared and failing to read Cabinet memos. These allegations are unfounded and deliberately mislead public members," said Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams.
Gungubele said Cabinet meetings were confidential and added that the allegations were unfounded.
Williams said:
"Members of the Cabinet are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions. Any unauthorised or premature disclosure of Cabinet meetings or information undermines the collective responsibility of the Cabinet," Williams added.
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