CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: The Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Natasha Mazzone at the Debate on 2022 State Of The Nation (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 14, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. The National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) held joint sittings to debate the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered at the Cape Town City Hall on 10 February. (Photo by Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais)
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: The Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Natasha Mazzone at the Debate on 2022 State Of The Nation (SONA) at Cape Town City Hall on February 14, 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. The National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) held joint sittings to debate the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered at the Cape Town City Hall on 10 February. (Photo by Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais)
It’s been a while since Natasha Mazzone pushed the envelope in Parliament, but the DA’s Chief Whip returned to form on Wednesday afternoon. Following the path scorched by John Steenhuisen earlier in the day, the opposition representative held nothing back when it was her turn to speak.
‘A Cabinet of criminals’ – Natasha Mazzone goes in hard on ANC
Halfway through her address to the National Assembly, Mazzone ripped into the Cabinet by calling them a ‘bunch of criminals’. That utterance, however, would lead to some significant disruption.
“I am here today as a representative of all South Africans. I will say what many wish they could tell today: The Cabinet is made up of criminals and people who are completely unfit to govern our country.”
Natasha Mazzone
Minister Naledi Pandor rejected the accusation outright, demanding that the statement should be withdrawn. Natasha Mazzone did, eventually, take her words back – but she didn’t stop there.
Natasha Mazzone had to withdraw her statement for calling the Cabinet criminals.
— Tyrone Prins (@itsTyronePrins) March 30, 2022
DA Chief Whip ‘forced to withdraw comments’
The senior DA politician called the entire Cabinet ‘an absolute disgrace’ and called for wholesale replacements across the board. Anything Steenhuisen can do, Mazzone can match…
“This is a bad government, governed by bad people. All these Ministers seem able to do is line their own pockets with money that should be used to deliver services to our people. I am not afraid to say it as it is…”
“Every single Cabinet Minister is an absolute disgrace and they should be stripped of their posts and replaced by people who can do the job. We are run by a mafia-like syndicate and the DA will not allow this to carry on.”
Natasha Mazzone
Lol the DA is really gunning for cabinet members ???? ???? Yeses Mazzone called them criminals and they flinched ????????
— Waxx' Mokobane (@FloydMokwena1) March 30, 2022
