‘Andidikwe’: Eastern Cape Health MEC apologises for briefing slip

The Eastern Cape’s Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba has apologised to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize after utterances she made during a virtual briefing on COVID-19 went viral on Tuesday evening.

The minister, Gomba and other Health MECs across the country were all taking part in the widely televised briefing, giving details on their efforts to contain the respiratory disease.

At the end of her address, Gomba could be heard saying, ‘Anididikwe’ – a Xhosa term which loosely translates to ‘I am irritated’ or ‘I am fed up’. Clips of the so-called blunder went viral and prompted suggestions that she had been referring to Mkhize. She made the remark seemingly without realising her microphone was still switched on.

A KWEEEN!
EC MEC for Health. Bathathe DiGombaz🤣🤣🤣#ANDIDIKWE pic.twitter.com/SSKzHhxfns

— Sesona Sestien Ngqakamba (@Sesona_Ngqaks) April 28, 2020

I profusely apologise – Gomba

In a statement on Wednesday morning, Gomba apologises for giving the wrong impression, saying she was fed up with the minister, but with the clothes she had been wearing.

“I understand the impression that was created when I said ‘andidikwe’ ndiyatsha during the briefing. At the time I was saying that, I was moving away from the laptop and taking off the doek”, she said.

“I profusely apologise for the wrong impression that this created as I am committed in the fight against this pandemic”

The MEC had left her mic on

The provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kopelo said the MEC had forgotten to turn off her microphone after her virtual address.

“The MEC spent the rainy and cold Tuesday visiting hospitals in the Mthatha area, ensuring medical staff have personal protective equipment”, Kupelo said.

“Because of exhaustion, the MEC forgot to mute her microphone when she said she was irritated or uncomfortable with the warm attire”

With the number of infections nearing the 5,000 mark, South Africa currently has 4,996 confirmed cases of the respiratory disease – 616 of which are in the Eastern Cape. The national death toll stands at 93, 10 of the fatalities have been reported in the province.

The neighbouring Western Cape remains the epicentre of the coronavirus, with 1,870 cases, followed by Gauteng with 1,377.

Other provinces are as follows;

Kwa Zulu-Natal (919), Free State (113), Limpopo (31), North West (29), Mpumalanga (24) and Northern Cape (17)

The Western Cape also has the most deaths so far, with 38, followed by KZN with 30.

The respiratory disease, which originates from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 240 000 people globally and infected well over three million. However close to a million people have recovered from the disease.