Speaker, I refer to President Zuma's recent attempt to justify e-tolling in Gauteng by saying, and I quote:
We can't think like Africans in Africa ... It is not some national road in Malawi.
It was inappropriate and an embarrassment to this country. It is also unfortunate that the President relied on his spokesperson, Mac Maharaj, to apologise and withdraw the offensive comments and did not have the necessary respect for the Malawian people and government to do so himself.
The DA submitted parliamentary questions in order to ascertain whether the President had followed due processes and sent an official apology or clarified his comments to the High Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi, and whether he would retract and/or apologise for his unacceptable insults to both South Africans and the people of Malawi.
We also enquired as to whether he had received any correspondence from the High Commissioner since making these comments. It is time for the President to admit his mistake and do the right thing to retract and apologise without delay. [Applause.]