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Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has urged a media personality to apologise after an ongoing Twitter war ensued following the announcement of the latest amendments to travel rules for minors.
Gigaba announced on Tuesday that documentation proving parental consent for a minor to travel is no longer a requirement.
Read: Travel rules relaxed for foreign parents travelling with children
The announcement led to a series of tweets by Redi Tlhabi, in which she accuses Gigaba of implementing policies "without empirical evidence", claiming the decision was one driven by Gigaba's "ego".
Tlhabi also alleged that Gigaba had had a personal issue with his ex-wife about a trip involving his daughter, and accused him of formulating the new regulations to suit his personal life.
YOU had a personal issue of yr ex wife making travel arrangements with yr daughter without your consent, so you decided "I'll sort this problem out?" You implemented untested regulations, claiming to address child trafficking? Have your regulations brought child trafficking down?
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 25, 2018
Gigaba, in a few tweets, responded to Tlhabi and gave her until 17:00 to "withdraw and apologise for her malicious lies" or "start raising money for a hefty damages claim".
Tlhabi has since responded to the tweet, with no indication of withdrawing her claims.
The former finance minister also announced a passport for minors that will eventually see the end of unabridged birth certificates as the document will have the contact details of both parents.
Traveller24 previously reported that according to Gigaba, the Department of Home Affairs will not go back on a decision to implement previous visa requirements, which required all parents entering South Africa to provide an unabridged birth certificate of all travelling children, detailing the child's father and mother.
These requirements came into effect on June 1, 2015, and applied even when both parents are travelling with their children.
Read more: Gigaba: Home Affairs will not go back on visa rules for children
The recent amendments follow the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week on changes to the visa regime as part of the economic stimulus and recovery plan.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs Hlomani Chauke has welcomed the broad visa-related reforms, which are set to be implemented before the festive season.
Before I respond to you @mgigaba . let me just assist your fans who may not be aware of the PUBLIC action you took & in placing your family on a public platform. Reference is therefore not victimization. I will return to you.
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
https://t.co/ZGZ9tpCQAh via @SowetanLIVE https://t.co/TzZF8ct1rb
Purpose of my placing article is not to say "Look at Melusi's personal issues". Rather it is to demonstrate that reference to & mention of names does not violate any boundaries. Especially if the context was kidnapping. Names of kidnapped children ARE published. Now....
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
You will know that there were subsequent articles that mentioned your child and that your own farewell message as outgoing ANCYL leader, mentions her name. Is terms of media laws, no line was crossed. Now that I have dealt with this, let's unpack your assertions
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
I can't imagine you have any more levels to sink to. AGAIN I use PUBLIC not personal record. A court once found yr account "flawed, laboured and meritless, bad in law, astonishing, palpably untrue, untenable and not sustained by objective evidence, uncreditworthy and nonsensical”
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
These are character traits Minister and it is worth reminding the public that you not only lost the appeal in that particular case but Con Court dismissed you & in June you missed court deadline to clear your name. I hardly think you should attempt sinking any further
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
In keeping with the "sinking to my levels" theme, I am justified in adding numerous policy blunders: From announcement to sell govt stake in Telkom to fund SAA & then abandoning that idea 5 months later, to annihilation of SOE boards (which we know was the start of State Capture)
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
And was it also not you who called Black middle class "cowards" for questioning the proponents of RET and pointing out that it was a subterfuge, a guise for looting. The question is where are you placed in relation to the looting? I suspect there is no more room left for sinking
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
I do not have to use your name at all. Your record & positions (from which you flip flop with ease) speak for themselves. Every black person who questions mediocre/corrupt/dishonest (as court said about you) black people, is working with racists??? Predictable, boring. Do better
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
I was ready to challenge your false assertion. Children's act doesn't necessarily require unabridged certificate. It requires proof of consent. But that's a discussion for another day. Let me acknowledge your last sentence, which is some sort of warning to me. And
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
I did not victimize your daughter and you know it. But it is typical of politicians to twist context and cry wolf. We both know about the strange events around journalists & whistleblowers as the breath of #StateCapture unfolded. So I consider myself warned, by you.
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
You were Minister at implementation. You were minister at public hearings to which you were summoned after snubbing them & sending Enver. You were minister when tourism sector reached out to you, you were minister when Stats SA gave declined tourism figures in 2014/15. https://t.co/7YGFKhCEui
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
And some of your colleagues publicly questioned why you were "imposing these regulations " & questioned your false trafficking figures & statement, delivered to parliament in June 2015. So the date below is irrelevant if we are debating why you pushed for them despite evidence
— Redi Tlhabi (@RediTlhabi) September 26, 2018
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