The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, is under pressure after a video circulated on social media showing her using a vulgar Afrikaans insult at a member of the public during a community engagement in Loerie, in the Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape.
What happened
The incident took place during the launch of an upgraded sewer pump station and rising main project valued at R5.98 million. According to local officials and footage of the meeting, a community member was being escorted out of the venue after an altercation on the floor when the exchange occurred.
"Phuma! Jou ma se **** ook,"
The clip, which has been widely shared on social media, appears to show the resident shouting an obscenity at the minister as he was being removed. The minister then replied with the derogatory phrase captured above. The explicit expletives have been edited in some public reposts.
Reactions and calls for action
Opposition parties have publicly called for disciplinary proceedings against Majodina, and the lobby group AfriForum has demanded her removal from office. Kouga municipal officials described the meeting as chaotic and highly politicised.
Kyle Minnaar, a Kouga Municipality administrator, told eNCA the meeting deteriorated after the launch and that the minister’s response left residents "in shock". Minnaar said the resident who swore at the minister may have been disruptive, but that the minister’s language was "inexcusable".
The Department of Water and Sanitation did not provide a substantive response when asked for comment. Its spokesperson, Lebo Maseko-Ngcamane, said the minister was not available to comment.
Why this matters locally
Community engagements around municipal infrastructure projects are intended to strengthen relations between government and residents, and to provide transparency about service delivery. The sewer pump station launch in Loerie was a visible example of such a project and represents government investment at a local level. A breakdown in decorum at these events risks undermining public trust and the perceived legitimacy of officials overseeing service delivery.
- Project: Upgraded sewer pump station and rising main
- Value: R5.98 million
- Location: Loerie, Kouga Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Immediate fallout: Calls for disciplinary action and removal by opposition parties and AfriForum
Procedures and next steps
There are established mechanisms for holding ministers to account, including parliamentary questions, ethics committees and internal departmental disciplinary procedures. At this stage, public reports note calls for investigation and sanction, but there is no publicly confirmed formal complaint or disciplinary docket linked to this specific incident.
For residents seeking recourse, possible channels include lodging complaints with the Department of Water and Sanitation, raising matters with local MPs representing the area in the National Assembly, or submitting complaints to the relevant parliamentary ethics structures. Civil society groups and opposition parties often pursue political remedies through media exposure and parliamentary pressure.
Wider political context
Incidents of this kind tend to reverberate beyond the immediate locality because they raise questions about ministerial conduct, respect for citizens and the tone of public engagement. Whether the episode results in formal disciplinary action will depend on responses from the department, the minister herself and parliamentary oversight bodies.
For the people of Loerie — many of whom attended the launch to see local infrastructure improvements — the immediate concern remains service delivery and ensuring the R5.98 million project operates as intended. Political fallout may follow, but local expectations will centre on the sewer pump station's performance and any follow-up community engagement that addresses residents’ concerns respectfully.
Further developments, including any departmental statement, formal complaints lodged, or parliamentary action, will be monitored and reported.
