Cape Town – Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries spokesman Lionel Adendorf has been suspended after he wrote a letter to the Cape Times criticising provincial ANC leader Marius Fransman last week.

Deputy director-general for Fisheries Greta Apelgren-Narkadien suspended Adendorf on Friday after the letter was published on February 14.

“It was the last straw,“ Apelgren-Narkadien told the Cape Times.

In the letter Adendorf described Fransman’s behaviour at a memorial service for rape and murder victim Anene Booysens as “inappropriate and disrespectful”. At the memorial Fransman launched an attack on Social Development MEC Albert Fritz and Safety MEC Dan Plato.

Adendorf is an ANC member and previously worked for the party when Mcebisi Skwatsha was chairman of the ANC.

Apelgren-Narkadien said Adendorf “attacked the deputy minister (Fransman) but didn’t declare it was his personal opinion”.

“Our employees have the right to speak to the media but they must say that this is their own opinion. I don’t think he did,” she said.

For more details go to www.iol.co.za