SA communications minister clarifies Geneva gaffe

South Africa’s Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has clarified an apparent gaffe made during a TV interview on Wednesday, in which she was questioned over allegations of flying her husband to Switzerland on taxpayers’ money. 

During the interview, Ms Ndabeni-Abrahams said “I have never been to Switzerland … We went to Geneva and New York”. 

The comment sparked widespread ridicule as the minister apparently didn’t realise that Geneva was a city in Switzerland. 

Ms Ndabeni-Abrahams has now clarified the mistake, saying she had meant to say France rather than Switzerland. 

“I profusely apologise for this error as as I meant to say that we had not been to France in that particular instance, but in Geneva where Mr Abrahams had accompanied me on an official trip in line with the Ministerial Handbook," News24 quotes as the statement saying.

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