[Update] Mduduzi Manana: minister called ‘trash’ after assault video goes viral

Update #2, 3.20pm: The Presidency is the latest governmental department to issue a statement on Nduduzi Manana.

“President Jacob Zuma has learned with great concern and is disturbed by the allegations of assault on a woman patron at a nightclub in Johannesburg reported by the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Mduduzi Manana,” reads the statement, published to Twitter.

“The South African Government has made violence against women a priority crime,” President Jacob Zuma states in the release.

“Women have a right to safety and security and must not be attacked or abused by anyone, anywhere in the country, regardless of the position of either the perpetrator or victim.”

“South Africa must be safe for all.”

Read the full statement below.

President Jacob Zuma disturbed by allegations of assault by Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana. https://t.co/onEPfFZ9oK

— PresidencyZA (@PresidencyZA) August 7, 2017

Update, 2.45pm: The Department of Higher Education’s official Twitter account has published a statement by Nduduzi Manana, expressing his apologies.

“I wish to apologize unreservedly to Ms Mandisa Duma, her family, the government of South Africa and all South Africans, and women in particular, for the incident that happened at Cubana Restaurant in Fourways over the weekend,” the statement begins.

“Regardless of the extreme provocation, I should have exercised restraint. That shameful incident should not have happened.”

Manana has also noted the “fake accounts that have been opened in [his] personal name” suggesting that these are showing “less remorse to the victim and intended to further tarnish [his] name.”

“I also commit myself to, when the time is right, further engage with Ms Duma and her family to apologize, take responsibility and address the harm that has occurred.”

#MananaApologies pic.twitter.com/ew9qenKxZZ

— HigherEduTrainingZA (@HigherEduGovZA) August 7, 2017

Original article: A video reportedly depicting the Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana physically abusing a woman has gone viral.

The video, uploaded to Twitter early Monday, shows Manana and a number of other men allegedly beating a woman in a Johannesburg branch of Cubana. The incident was also documented by users on Facebook and Instagram, while the video was also posted to YouTube.

#CountryDuty #MduduziManana

We can only hope that SAPS & the Minister arrest Manana ASAP

Here’s a vid that may help pic.twitter.com/qxTssPeL7c

— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) August 7, 2017

According to an eNCA report, the woman was kicked, punched and had her hair pulled by the men.

“My cousin Thando was also klapped, they pulled her hair. My friend was thrown around when she tried to come and help me,” the victim tells the publication.

She also noted that the security personnel at the Cubana branch “just stood around and watched as the assault happened”.

Mduduzi Manana began trending in South Africa Monday morning

The hashtag #MduduziManana began trending in South Africa soon after the video gained traction, with social media users lamenting the incident.

An unverified Twitter account purporting to belong to Mduduzi Manana also issued a number of statements on Monday. However the below tweets were later deleted.

“Allow me to extend my apologies to the Nation at large and the victims of assault,an apology is enough to fix the damages.lets allow the law [sic],” the account posted.

“We are cooperating with the Authorities to provide necessary information in build up of this case.”

South Africans online respond

South Africans were having none of it.

“What a piece of shit !!!!!!” South African personality Anele Mdoda tweeted.
Karabo Mokoena’s death in May 2017

What a piece of shit !!!!!! #MduduziManana

— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) August 7, 2017

Many shared her sentiment.

So a whole deputy minister assaulted a woman and the @Dept_of_Women is silent on this? #MduduziManana #WomensMonth

— Aanda Soga (@Aanda_Soga) August 6, 2017

How fragile can your ego and masculinity be that you reaffirm your sexuality by being violent. #MduduziManana

— Nang’uMakoti (@AneleZMaphumulo) August 6, 2017

So people are trying to justify #MduduziManana assault by comparing it to #KFCassault?
All trash must go to jail!
Please and thank you.

— Ranjeni Munusamy (@RanjeniM) August 7, 2017

stop saying ” During Women’s Month ” as if it’s okay to abuse women in any other month except August.

Arrest trash #MduduziManana Now

— Mmapula 👌 (@Mmaps_ThePro) August 7, 2017

Political figures have also taken to Twitter with their comments.

This is not new behavior by #MduduziManana a year ago he assualted and threatened one of my female MP’s in Parliament. Case opened no action

— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) August 7, 2017

Police minister Fikile Mbalula has confirmed that a charge had been laid against Manana.

“No one is above the law irrespective of their position in Society,” he tweets.

STATEMENT

No one is above the law irrespective of their position in Society. pic.twitter.com/NSz5PqnFss

— RSA Police Minister (@MbalulaFikile) August 7, 2017

The EFF has called for Cubana to be held accountable, Manana’s resignation, and to present himself to police for arrest in a lengthy statement.

Cubana must be held accountable for its complicity and close down if it cannot guarantee the safety of women in its premises #MduduziManana

— #EFFTurns4 (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 7, 2017

Full Statement: EFF Calls on #MduduziManana to hand himself to the Police pic.twitter.com/Z4FYaTtF4K

— IG: @MbuyiseniNdlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) August 7, 2017

The ANC (with caps lock firmly depressed) issued the following statement.

ANC STATEMENT ON ALLEGATIONS LEVELLED AGAINST CDE #MduduziManana pic.twitter.com/ZXDOBumfZv

— Year of OR Tambo (@MYANC) August 7, 2017

The official South African Government account also tweeted about the incident.

“We are aware that an assault case has been opened & that SABC journalist, Lumko Jimlongo has made a statement of witnessing the incident,” it confirms.

We are aware that an assault case has been opened & that SABC journalist, Lumko Jimlongo has made a statement of witnessing the incident

— South African Gov (@GovernmentZA) August 7, 2017

#MduduziMananaIsTrash

Alongside #MduduziManana, the hashtag #MduduziMananaIsTrash also briefly appeared on Twitter. The hashtag is an adapted version of the hashtag #MenAreTrash which came to prominence after Karabo Mokoena’s death in May 2017.

The new face of “Women Abuse” #MduduziMananaIsTrash #MduduziManana pic.twitter.com/6mXfErhLiJ

— CSReviewer (@cs_reviewer) August 7, 2017

So this disgusting individual likes fighting with women #MduduziMananaIsTrash

— buntu ndesi (@buntundesi7) August 7, 2017

As we patiently wait for an update on the arrest of #MduduziMananaIsTrash pic.twitter.com/it1lfGfkcr

— ForeverNaaliyah (@n_liyahh) August 7, 2017

Men must confront their own evil and also call out abusers amongst themselves to build a woman abuse free society #MduduziMananaIsTrash

— #EFFTurns4 (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 7, 2017

The Twitter account purporting to represent Manana has noted that he is “not available for any comments”.

I’m not available for any comments.

— Mduduzi C. Manana (@MduduziCManana) August 7, 2017

This is a developing story. Refresh the page regularly for updates.

Feature image: GovernmentZA via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0, cropped)