Mbeki won't clip Manto's wings

2003-05-02 09:50

Jan-Jan Joubert

Pretoria - President Thabo Mbeki thinks Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is doing an excellent job and no action will be taken about the controversery on an international flight earlier this week.

Bheki Khumalo, spokesperson for the president, said on Thursday Tshabalala-Msimang had told Mbeki of the incident and no steps would be taken.

He declined to give details of Tshabalala-Msimang's version of the incident to Mbeki.

"You will have to ask her yourself to tell her side of the story", said Khumalo.

It proved impossible again on Thursday.

Tshabalala-Msimang has two spokespeople, Sibani Mngadi and Jo-Anne Collinge.

Neither has reacted in the past three days to numerous requests from Die Burger and Beeld to give the minister's side of the incident.

'It's between him and the minister'

Even although Essop Pahad, minister in the president's office, has complained the media hasn't published or broadcast the minister's version of the incident, Khumalo feels it is a matter between the minister and the fellow passenger, Jentz von Wichtingen.

"The matter rests between him and the minister. If he wants to take the matter further, he can take it up with the police or the airline.

"I also cannot insist that the department of health issues a statement", he said.

Tshabalala-Msimang allegedly used crude language on a flight between Germany and South Africa on Monday when Von Wichingen, 37, of Sea Point, Cape Town, refused to sit next to her because of the government's Aids policy.

'Race card doesn't work any more'

Anesca Smith reports that Pahad has been heavily criticised by opposition parties because he said "too many people do not respect black ministers".

Patricia de Lille, activist politician and founder of the Independent Democrats, says: "The race card that Essop played does not work any more."

"He is such a 'yes man'."

"If someone is rude, he or she is rude. It has nothing to do with race. I do not know what else Tshabalala-Msimang will have to do before the government takes action against her."

- Beeld