Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has conceded that last week’s unrest was a failed insurrection.
Mapisa-Nqakula made an about-turn after being repudiated by the acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshaveni.
The Defence Minister had contradicted President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday when she appeared before a parliamentary committee. She told the committee there is no sign of a coup or insurrection.
Ramaphosa called the unrest an attempted insurrection when he addressed the nation last Friday night.
Ntshaveni told the media that the president’s statement is based on information the National Security Council received from the military and law enforcement agencies.
After meeting with members of parliamentary committees in Durban, Mapisa-Nqakula said her previous statement was based on the information she had at the time.
“The President has spoken it was an attempted insurrection, and I confined myself to counter-revolution but ultimately remembered any element of counter-revolution ultimately may lead to an insurrection in a country. Counter-revolution is about doing all manner of things which are meant to undermine the authority of the state, which amend to undermine our democratic country, so if you do that you may as well tomorrow mobilise everybody and say this is the direction we are taking.”
Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni briefs media on the violence that engulfed parts of KZN and Gauteng:
