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- DA MP Tsepo Mhlongo was in a grocery store, not a liquor store during Wednesday's sitting, the party said.
- He has been "duly reprimanded" by the party.
- The DA is "deeply disappointed and disturbed by the media sensationalising this incident".
The DA MP who was caught in what appeared to be a liquor store during a virtual sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, was in fact in a grocery store and had been "duly reprimanded", said party chief whip Natasha Mazzone.
On Wednesday, News24 reported that, while ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe – an advocate of temperance – asked a question of teetotaller Police Minister Bheki Cele, the broadcast flashed to footage of a man in jeans walking in a shop past a stack of six-packs. The identification at the bottom of the screen read: "Tsepo Mhlongo, Democratic Alliance."
After Cele responded to Meshoe, EFF MP Natasha Ntlangwini raised a point of order.
"Tsepo Mhlongo was busy within Tops. Can we please ensure that this comrade gets out of the liquor and come do the work of Parliament because the guy is in Tops as we speak," she said.
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"It is ridiculous that some of us make time and others are just in Tops and drinking wine. It's improper. It's ridiculous."
ACDP MP Steve Swart and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu also complained.
The only DA MP who spoke on the matter was Cameron MacKenzie, who conceded that he hadn't seen the footage of Mhlongo.
House chairperson Grace Boroto said they would go back to the video and report it to the office of the speaker for processing.
On Friday, Mazzone said in a statement that the DA had noted "the disingenuous and sensational media reports and would like to set the record straight".
"Mr Mhlongo was at a Pick n Pay grocery store, and an EFF MP’s assumption that he was in a TOPS liquor store has now falsely been accepted as fact," Mazzone said.
'Media sensationalising incident'
"Due to the unprecedented outrage directed towards Mr Mhlongo, he has now been forced to go as far as to compile an affidavit to prove that he was not in a liquor store.
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"The DA in no way justifies Mr Mhlongo not being fully attentive while being on the virtual sitting. It is for this reason that Mr Mhlongo was duly reprimanded before the party's parliamentary caucus, where he apologised for the offence that he has caused to the public."
She said the DA was "deeply disappointed and disturbed by the media sensationalising this incident without interrogating the facts".
"While we respect the media’s responsibility to hold MPs to account, the level of interest shown in this matter by the press is unfortunate in light of a recent incident in Parliament where a male ANC MP hurled abuse at a DA MP when she shared her personal account of the sexual assault she suffered as a child.
"The MP also proceeded with threats of violence towards myself and my colleague, Phumzile Van Damme, all during a Women's Day debate."
News24 reported on Tuesday how ANC MP Khaya Magaxa had heckled DA MP Nazley Sharif during her speech on the debate on Women's Day, in which she described how she has been objectified by male MPs since becoming one herself last year.
