Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has downplayed claims that there are tensions between him and his Deputy Buti Manamela.
In an audio clip circulating on social media the minister can be heard lamenting the lack of support from his team.
Nzimande was in Kimberley in the Northern Cape to pay homage to the late senior member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Chris Matlhaku.
“I was hoping that you are not going to ask me that. There’s really no tensions. All that thing reflects is that I work for government as a Minister I like my work done by everybody works with me and I want things to be done correctly. As ministers we are held to account if things don’t go right. So there’s no tensions we work well me and the deputy minister.”
Nzimande says the void left by Matlhaku, who is the former second deputy general secretary of the SACP can never be filled.
The National Central Committee member of the party died on Thursday following an ailment.
“He liked political schools comrade Chris to share his own knowledge and to see younger communists. It’s a big loss to our movement it’s a big loss to our country we also lost a patriot.”
