Moemish or telling the truth? Fikile Mbalula's dragged over BBC interview
“That BBC interview with Fikile Mbalula just exposed that our 'leadership' are leaders because they were there to fight apartheid, not because they have the brains for it.”
This is one of the remarks from people who expressed their reactions to the transport minister's recent interview on the BBC's HARDtalk.
On Wednesday, Mbalula sat down with the popular UK news programme to shed some light on the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
He described the unrest as a “failed insurrection” by plotters who had a “field day”.
“The insurrection is the ultimate end of coup plotters ... The grounds for them were not fertile because to have an insurrection you've got to have a weakened state in the form of the police and soldiers to maintain law and order.
“On our part, the response to this was delayed with a couple of days and that gave them a field day, but for all the days they had, the plotters, they couldn't achieve that.”
South Africa’s Transport Minister @MbalulaFikile says delayed response to recent violence in the country gave plotters “a field day”
— BBC HARDtalk (@BBCHARDtalk) July 21, 2021
“But for all the days they had, the plotters, they couldn't achieve that result” pic.twitter.com/ZcmSFWkzuQ
Mbalula said instigators “wanted, attempted, mobilised, orchestrated, and called for the sabotage of key economic elements”.
He said the evidence supporting the government's theory that an insurrection was behind the unrest was “overwhelming”, but did not provide any of this evidence when questioned.
Mbalula's comments come just days after defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the riots were a result of “counterrevolution”, seemingly contradicting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement.
However, Mapisa-Nqakula later made a U-turn, saying she made a mistake after acting minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said her views on the unrest were ill-informed.
“The president has spoken. It was an attempted insurrection. I confined myself to counterrevolutionary but ultimately, remember, any element of counterrevolution may lead to insurrection in a country,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
On social media, many users had a field day of their own, weighing on the interview. The views expressed by many saw the minister's name topping the trending list:
Fikile Mbalula won't recover from that😂😂😂😂.
— King (@kingSnezzo) July 22, 2021
That BBC interview with Mbalula just exposed that our "leadership" are leaders because they were there to fight apartheid, not because they have the brains for it. pic.twitter.com/JkAC9TI77J
— YOUMISINTERPRETED. (@Ni_Ra27) July 22, 2021
BBC: This was civil unrest‼️
— Bonginkosi MLambo🌍 (@Bonginkocy) July 21, 2021
Mbalula: No this exhibited characteristics of insurrection what what….…
BBC: ok 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/KbAav3PZMP
Fikile Mbalula contradicts himself in that BBC interview also. He boldly said the coup failed because military and police worked well to curb it. And later says the organisers of the coup destabilized the military . 😂😂😂
— Zinhle (@Zinhleputinn) July 22, 2021
Minister Mbalula’s performance on BBC Hard Talk was poor at best and also ill considered. Someone from the intelligence cluster would have been better suited.
— MLM Madlala (@1981self) July 21, 2021
Fikile Mbalula is clutching claws at BBC Hardtalk🔥. This anchor is having none of it, & correctly so.
— MODERATOR Inc. (@TrueNorth_Hlubi) July 21, 2021
BBC: What have you done for your people in 27 yrs?
Mbaks: what was 27 yrs compared to 300yrs of oppression🙄.
BBC: is that what you're telling ur people in SA?🔥. #RebuildSA pic.twitter.com/ppalXLCpxR
Fikile Mbalula was exposed in this interview. He easily get away with it here South Africa thought he’ll do the same with BBC anchor, Stephen who wasn’t afraid to ask difficult questions.
— Lindo Myeni — TwittaNerd™ 👨🏾💻 (@LindoMyeni) July 22, 2021
It’s international 🤭 https://t.co/wLo1j5b4lk
Watching Fikile Mbalula on Hard Talk on BBC. He was trying to defend the insurrection story of President Ramaphosa with very little success. Mbalula not impressive.
— Douglas Gibson (@dhmgibson) July 21, 2021
Dear @BBCHARDtalk
— Mzwanele Manyi (@MzwaneleManyi) July 21, 2021
Can you please be so kind and reply to me with the full interview🙏🏿 https://t.co/Hpj9Ry8Qw5
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