Deputy President David Mabuza has defended under fire Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, saying that, amid a slew of criticism, she is simply doing her job.

During a hybrid question and answer session in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mabuza defended the work of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC).

"Therefore, the minister (Dlamini-Zuma) has been given the role, with other ministers, to work out regulations every time we make a movement between levels of the lockdown.

Mabuza also took a swipe at DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone, who called Dlamini-Zuma the "unofficial prime minister of the country".

Minister Dlamini-Zuma now has an incredible amount of power because she is in fact in charge of running this council as she oversees the Disaster Management Act.