South Africa’s Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has denied apologising to the president for her criticism of the judiciary.

It came after the presidency said on Thursday that President Cyril Ramaphosa had met Ms Sisulu this week where she had apologized and retracted her “hurtful comments”.

But Ms Sisulu said she “categorically” disowned the statement as “a misrepresentation of the meeting I had with the president”.

She said she stood by her remarks, had offered no apology and that the content of the president’s statement was unfortunate.

In an interview with state broadcaster SABC, her spokesman Steve Motale further said the minister had expected more engagement with the president and was shocked by the statement.

The presidency has said it stands by its statement.

In a recent article published by the media, Ms Sisulu wrote that some judges were “mentally colonised Africans”.

She also said the constitution had failed to improve the lives of black South Africans living in poverty.