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It is never a good time to get married, an event that is notoriously stressful and logistically complicated.
A union during a pandemic is even more difficult to manage.
Reports have emerged that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, organized a two-day wedding for her son Buyambo the morning that President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country from lockdown level 1 to level 3.
The second day of the procedure would have taken place the day after Ramaphosa’s announcement.
As part of the adjusted closure strategy, the meetings were once again restricted until at least January 15.
Alcohol sales were also temporarily eliminated.
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National Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo explained that a wedding had taken place the morning Ramaphosa was due to make his risk-adjusted lockdown announcement, which was December 28, 2020.
He said Mantashe was not aware that changes would be made, and because the wedding lasted for two days, on December 28 and 29, 2020, the stragglers were still gathered in the area where the celebrations took place. .
Naidoo confirmed that Mantashe personally went to the Cala police station around 8 a.m. the day after the Ramaphosa level 3 announcement.
“He said listen, I have people in my house, but they are going to leave, and if someone says something, this is what happened.”
Naidoo said police do not believe the minister broke any rules, saying it was more of a “circumstantial” situation than a deliberate law-breaking exercise.
“It’s not like I waited for the announcement to invite people. The wedding already happened the day before. ”
Although some have accused Mantashe of disobeying the strict rules set by the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), Naidoo said the incident was more of a case of bad timing.
Mantashe and his wife Nolwandle tested positive for Covid-19 in July 2020.
Mantashe was admitted to the hospital and his wife was able to self-quarantine at home.
Weddings, funerals, and religious gatherings have long been considered “high-profile” events, and limiting the number of people was essential to keep as many beds open for Covid-19 patients.
In July, at least 25 people who attended a wedding in KwaZulu-Natal tested positive for Covid-19, many of whom occupied much-needed hospital beds.
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