Woman Sparks Outrage After Wishing Gwede Mantashe Was Assassinated Like Chris Hani: “She Needs to Be Punished”

• An environmental author has sparked outrage by making questionable comments about Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe
• Nicole Barlow tweeted that Mantashe should have been assassinated like struggle hero Chris Hani
• Chris Hani was assassinated outside his Boksburg home by the recently paroled Janusz Walus

JOHANNESBURG - A woman has landed herself in hot water for making questionable comments about Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

Environmentalist calls for Gwede Mantashe to be assassinated

South Africans are outraged that environmental author Nicole Barlow said Mantashe should have been assassinated like anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani.

Barlow tweeted:

"We missed an opportunity to do a Chris Hani on him."

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Hani was assassinated by Janusz Walus in his Boksburg home on 10 April 1993, TimesLIVE reported.

Barlow was quick to delete the Tweet, but not before social media users screenshot it and circulated it on social media.

Mantashe snubs meeting with President Ramaphosa, sparking assassination comments from environmentalist

The environmentalist's comment was attached to a retweet of a Sunday Times article about Mantashe being a no-show at an official engagement with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Instead, the energy minister chose to go to a Cosatu event.

South African were quick to call Barlow out for calling for Mantashe's assassination, with many claiming that her comment was tantamount to hate speech and inciting violence. Some people have even reported the author to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Barlow has since made a somewhat half-hearted apology admitting that her comment was distasteful.

SA drags Nicole Barlow for saying Gwede Mantashe should have been assassinated

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Below are South Africans' outraged comments:

@KayKay_84 said:

I’m still sick to my stomach after reading that first tweet. “Pull a Chris Hani”? I can’t move from there. She needs to be punished severely."

@EphraimSbudda criticised:

"Only a matter of time before they drop the “I got black friends” line..."

@RichmanSekatane commented:

"Human Rights Commission, it's your time to shine."

@CynthieHobbs remarked:

"The Barlow woman's comment is atrocious and must be dealt with in the strongest terms. You are as much of a racist, if not worse."

@MosininiM added:

"Our black kids will one day suffer the consequences of our ignorance and silence in future. Mara Dudukane, it's fine."

Mbalula wants ANC to defend Mantashe after members allegedly criticised him over his response to energy transition

Briefly News previously reported that the Secretary-General of the African National Congress (ANC), Fikile Mbalula, wants ANC members to close ranks around Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe.

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Mantashe allegedly confided in the SG, claiming that some party members criticised him for defending the use of coal as South Africa's main power source.

The energy minister is a strong proponent of continuing to generate power from coal amid a push for a shift to renewable energy in the nation.

Source: Briefly News