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The Buffalo City Metro moved swiftly to reject a viral screenshot of a purported Facebook post allegedly by mayor Princess Faku which appeared to welcome the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Phala Phala matter and claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa had been vindicated.
Based on the screenshot, Faku faced backlash from social media users who believed she had misunderstood or misinterpreted the ruling.
In a landmark judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court found rule 129(i)(b) of the National Assembly rules inconsistent with the constitution and invalid.
The court also set aside the National Assembly vote taken on December 13 2022, which rejected the recommendation that the report of the independent Phala Phala panel be referred to an impeachment committee.
“Kamnandi [it’s nice] our president is vindicated,” read the screenshot of the viral post.
The original post seems to have since been deleted.
The apparent celebratory tone of the post, which appeared to support Ramaphosa, raised eyebrows among users who saw it as a major setback.
It was shared widely, with many users mocking it and sparking heated debate.
“What’s written on social media is not always true,” the metro posted on its official Facebook page, attaching a screenshot of the purported message.
“People should be careful about what they share and always think before posting or believing everything they see online.”
Reacting to the post, DA chief whip Anathi Majeke slammed the metro and questioned its decision to reject it publicly.
“What the mayor decides to write on her own FB page should NOT be on the municipal FB account to defend; more so with the ANC colours that are also on her post,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“I have reported this to the head of the department of executive support to lodge a complaint.
“There is a communications policy that needs to be followed.
“As citizens, we should not be subjected to an individual’s defence campaign via a state-sanctioned Facebook page.”
Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile declined to comment on the matter.
