PARLIAMENT - Deputy President David Mabuza on Tuesday defended former deputy higher education minister Mduduzi Manana still holding his parliamentary seat despite being convicted of on three counts of assault last year.
In his maiden question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, Mabuza spoke about government's attempts to protect women against gender-based violence, but Democratic Alliance MP Terri Stander wanted to know why Manana was still "sitting there after he was convicted in a court of law for assaulting a woman".
Mabuza said his party believed that people could change.
"With regard to Manana, I think Manana has been convicted, went to court and we believe that people can be corrected," said the deputy president.
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"We don't have a dustbin where we throw people. We correct people. We move with them that's what we believe."
Manana resigned his post as deputy minister before admitting guilty and paying a R100 000 fine for his crimes.