Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina faced fresh backlash on Wednesday 10 September 2026 after a video showed her swearing at a disabled resident during a community meeting in Loerie in the Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape. Image: Supplied
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina faces fresh public backlash after a video showed her swearing at a disabled resident in Loerie in the Kouga Municipality on Wednesday 10 September 2026. The Pemmy Majodina backlash erupted after a resident directed an Afrikaans expletive at her. He said “jou ma se p*es” as he left the meeting. Furthermore, Majodina responded in kind, saying “Phuma! Jou ma se p*es ook.” As a result, the video spread rapidly on social media and placed a senior cabinet minister at the centre of one of the most debated political controversies of the week.
The incident happened at a community session following the launch of a R5.98 million upgrade to the Loerie Sewer Pump Station. The meeting turned chaotic during the question-and-answer portion when a resident spoke out of turn. Majodina ordered his removal. As community members escorted him out he directed the expletive at her. She responded with the same language. Furthermore, Kouga Municipality administrator Kyle Minnaar described the minister’s conduct as an abuse of power. “This is an abuse of power, completely disrespectful to residents, and totally unacceptable behaviour from a Cabinet minister,” Minnaar said. As a result, Minnaar also revealed that Majodina campaigned for the ANC at the meeting while attending in her official capacity as minister.
The Loerie incident divided South Africans sharply. Some commentators defended Majodina and argued the resident was disrespectful first and deserved removal. Facebook user Lux Mbundwini wrote that being disabled does not give anyone a free pass to be disrespectful. Others condemned the minister and argued a cabinet official must show greater restraint regardless of provocation. Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe told eNCA the incident reflects what he called the arrogance of power. “What we are seeing is what is often referred to as the arrogance of power,” Seepe said. Furthermore, political analyst Jan-Jan Joubert said politicians should never be seen at war with the public. As a result, the Loerie video triggered a broader national conversation about how South Africa’s public officials treat the communities they serve.
The Majodina incident drew immediate comparisons to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero. Morero used profane language toward a resident during a community meeting in Tshepisong over electricity outages in late August 2026. He apologised the same day. Analysts say the two incidents reflect the same underlying problem. South African public officials increasingly treat community engagements as power events rather than listening spaces. Furthermore, neither official faced formal consequences from their parties at the time of publication. As a result, the ANC faces questions about the standard of conduct it expects from its deployees in cabinet and in metro positions.
The Loerie incident is not Majodina’s first public controversy. Last year she performed the Rain Watcher song with dancing and chanting at a summit in Cape Town. Critics pointed out that millions of South Africans lack water and that a minister singing about rain while communities wait for taps was tone deaf. Earlier in 2026 she sang a version of the water song during a visit to Ethiopia, drawing more criticism. Furthermore, Parliament confirmed that no officials in three of South Africa’s catchment management agencies faced disciplinary action since Majodina took office. No civil recovery or criminal referral followed either. As a result, her critics argue she spends more energy on controversy than on fixing South Africa’s water crisis.
The Department of Water and Sanitation had not commented on the Loerie incident at the time of publication. Majodina had also not publicly respondeYou may also be interested in: Ramaphosa Says He Will Not Resign as ANC Divided and Fresh Legal Bid Launched Against Phala Phala Panel Report.