An Online Petition To Oust Manana Fires Up!
The online petition that has been launched to have the Deputy Minister of Higher Education fired, is gaining momentum. Manana is accused of assaulting a woman at the Cubana restaurant in Fourways, Johannesburg, over the weekend.
The petition calls for the Deputy Minister to be dismissed and insists an apology is not enough. Launched on Monday, it already had over 1,000 signatures. The authors of the petition say that South Africa is dogged by many incidents of assault against women to an extent that these have been normalized.
In the petition, authors reason that Manana is a public figure, and as such, should know the high expectations of him. Keeping him in the employ of the government will undermine ongoing efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive, fully funded national strategic plan to prevent, combat and respond to gender-based violence.
The issue has also caught the attention of celebrities with some of them tweeting:
That video is traumatizing.
My blood went cold.
I'm numb.
I'm angry.
#MduduziManana— Nomzamo Mbatha (@NomzamoMbatha) August 7, 2017
Dear @MbalulaFikile, a media statement is not good enough. If you do not make an arrest TODAY, you are equally as guilty as #MduduziManana.
— Masechaba Khumalo™️®️👑💕 (@MasechabaAfrica) August 7, 2017
What a piece of shit !!!!!! #MduduziManana
— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) August 7, 2017
Check The Petition on Amandla.mobi
Manana has since issued a statement on Monday in which he unreservedly apologized to the victim of assault, Mandisa Duma, and her family, the government and women in South Africa.
