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Blade Nzimande has reported bloggers to Twitter for allegedly inciting violence and hate in several Tweets directed at him on Sunday. Image via Twitter @DrBladeNzimande

‘We deserve better from you and your friends’ – blogger tells Nzimande

A blogger seated in the same restaurant as government minister Blade Nzimande and his family poked fun at him and threatened him on Twitter.

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Blade Nzimande has reported bloggers to Twitter for allegedly inciting violence and hate in several Tweets directed at him on Sunday. Image via Twitter @DrBladeNzimande

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande was having lunch with his family in Howick when a blogger suggested that he physically assault him in a post on Twitter. 

Departmental spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi, said that the minister had reported the blogger to twitter for violating its usage policy.

“The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, reported to Twitter authorities,  bloggers who threatened violence and physical harm against the minister and his family,” Mnisi said.

Mnisi said that Nizimade was having linch with his family at a restaurant in Howick, near Pietermaritzburg, when a blogger who was at the same restaurant threatened to assault him.

“The initiator blogger said “Guys I’m at a restaurant and there’s a minister here-should I hit him?”Another blogger responded “send location, sizokusiza”. Another blogger went further making threats and very worrisome inferences on the work of  ministers,” Mnisi said.

In responding to the instigator blogger, the blogger said “stand up and clink a glass and call attention to their table and offer a short thought ‘we deserve better from you and your friends and you deserve to be uncomfortable in public spaces until you start doing your jobs’”

“It is very apparent that the said bloggers did not only threaten the personal safety of the minister and his family, but also sought to publicly humiliate the Minister,” Mnisi said.

“When Minister Nzimande was made aware of the tweets, the Minister recognised the individual who was  seated not a distance from where the Minister was seated at the time,” he said.

Mnisi alleged that the bloggers had violated Twitter rules and regulations which are against the incitement of violence and threats to the physical safety of fellow bloggers or members of the public.

“Minister Nzimande will be opening  a case against the bloggers with the police and will further consider taking legal action against the bloggers and other accomplices who join the tweets by inciting violence and hate,” he said.