No one is above the law in South Africa‚ including the president, that’s according to Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Nkoana-Mashabane was talking to Al Jazeera in an interview about the current turmoil in South Africa’s politics.

Jane Dutton of Al Jazeera had asked Nkoana-Mashobane how President Jacob Zuma could still be left at the helm of the country after the highest court in the land had found him guilty of misusing public funds. Dutton cited the calls by former finance Minister Trevor Manuel for Zuma to step down.

Nkoane-Mashabane replied: “I don’t know if there are still after apartheid categories of people in South Africa whose opinions are valued much more than the rest‚” Nkoana-Mashabane said.

She noted that Trevor Manuel because of the colour of his skin — when he was appointed — was called the Minister of common sense.

Nkoana-Mashabane said she was more frightened by seeing an old woman carrying a water can in modern day South Africa than she was by EFF leader Julius Malema’s threats of violence.