ANC KZN summons councillor to meeting after he links Covid-19 to 5G

The eThekwini councillor said 5G towers may be transmitting electro-magnetic waves that may be responsible for the current exponential rise in the “so-called Covid-19 related deaths”. Picture: Reuters

The eThekwini councillor said 5G towers may be transmitting electro-magnetic waves that may be responsible for the current exponential rise in the “so-called Covid-19 related deaths”. Picture: Reuters

Published Jan 6, 2021

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Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said on Tuesday it would meet with an eThekwini ANC councillor following his controversial statements in which he blamed the new 5G network for the current lethal second wave of Covid-19 infections and called for the immediate removal of its towers.

Ward 24 councillor Sfiso Mngadi remained adamant on Tuesday that his message contained no malicious intent but was rather a proactive and desperate move to save people’s lives.

Mngadi said the 5G towers may be transmitting electro-magnetic waves that may be responsible for the current exponential rise in the “so-called Covid-19 related deaths” and called for the towers to be removed.

ANC provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said the provincial leadership would meet with Mngadi to get him to explain the source of his utterances.

“The ANC distances itself from this.

“In fact as of this Saturday, we have met with all MPLs and MPs asking them to go to the grass-root level of our people to enhance awareness that the coronavirus is killing people,” Ntombela said.

“All ANC branches in all 11 regions in the province, which includes councillors, will be going out to caution people to take safety measures seriously.

“We are opposed to conspiracy theories of any kind that seek to undermine the work the government is doing to save lives,” he said, speaking on his way from a funeral of “a young man who has died of corona after just graduating from university”.

EThekwini speaker Weziwe Thusi, who is responsible for councillors’ behaviour, said she would investigate the allegations, starting with a one-on-one meeting with Mngadi today.

“It is quite a pity that a leader of society can demonstrate such ignorance about technological advancement in our country and spread lies,” Thusi said.

DA leader Nicole Graham said the official opposition party had laid a formal complaint with Thusi.

“As ridiculous as this (Mngadi’s statements) all sounds, it is dangerous to have someone in a position of public leadership and influence spreading this kind of nonsense,” Graham said.

“The ward which Mngadi represents is part Westville (predominantly white populated) and part Chesterville (African), so for him to be spreading racially divisive rhetoric that whites somehow got a vaccine at the Pavilion is also incredibly irresponsible,” she added.

In a voice note clip, which Mngadi told The Mercury was a recording during an informal meeting with some ANC councillors, he says a truckload of vaccines were distributed to whites.

Mngadi claims in the voice note that white people have been given vaccines against the virus, because it was being deliberately spread to wipe out the African majority population.

He further claims in the voice note that 5G towers were spreading the virus.

“Let us get our information technology, disaster management and electricity departments to point out the location of these towers.

“They must remove them. If they don’t we will get people to uproot them.

“They have been removed in other countries in the world, we can also do it,” Mngadi

IFP leader Mdu Nkosi said although it was difficult to comment on Mngadi’s comments since there was no scientific research to back up what was said, however he said further investigation into the allegations was required .

“As the IFP, we are part of the national command council. We will wait for the IFP to give us a direction on whether there is any cause for panic about these towers.

“The president is sitting on that council.

“Is Mngadi saying the president and the ANC are selling out South Africans?

“But maybe there needs to be further investigation so that there is no panic among the people,” he said.

Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, who the city said on Tuesday had tested positive for Covid-19 but was in good health and isolating at home, shied away from responding directly to Mngadi’s comments, but issued a statement which was clearly timed to address Mngadi’s statement.

He cautioned “those who continue to peddle conspiracy theories about the pandemic, to desist from spreading misinformation because (doing so) goes against accepted protocols in the fight against the virus”.

“We continue to be guided by science as advised by the health department.

“It is unfortunate that some people are spreading false information about the installation of 5Gs and linking it to the spread of Covid-19 in the city,” he said.

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala last month was present at the launch of the 5G Vodacom network in the province.

On Tuesday, Zikalala would not be drawn to the specifics of Mngadi’s comments.

“The province takes its cues from the national command council, which is guided by science in its response to the pandemic.

“There has been no scientific information that (points to the dangers of the 5G network installation),” spokesperson Thami Ngidi said.

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