South African President Cyril Ramavusa has given one of his country's ministers a mandatory two-month vacation, one of them without pay, after she went to a friend's house and had lunch, despite the closures imposed to contain the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Ramavusa said in a statement today, Wednesday: "The members of the Executive Authority bear a special responsibility to set an example for citizens, who are forced to make great sacrifices."
He added: "None of us, especially any member of the executive, should undermine our national efforts to save lives in this very dangerous situation, and no one is above the law."
A picture of Communications and Digital Technology Minister Stella Ndabeni Abrahams had been circulating while eating with a friend on social media. South African media reported that the photo was taken at the home of former Deputy Education Minister Mduduzi Manana.
The president's statement stated that Ndabeni had apologized to the president, but he was not convinced of the "reasons she provided" and granted her a special vacation for two months, one of them without pay. Ramavusa also told her that she should "make an apology to the nation."
South Africa has imposed a three-week shutdown since last March to stop the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
South Africa has recorded 1,686 confirmed cases of the virus and 12 deaths.