Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has apologised for her “hurtful comments” and retracted her stinging remarks on the judiciary following a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa this week.

Ramaphosa castigated Sisulu over an opinion article published in Independent Media publications earlier in January in which she described black judges as “mentally colonised”, drawing sharp criticism from civil society, politicians and the country’s top judge, acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, who came out in defence of the third branch of government in a rare moment of censure of politician outside a court judgment. ..