Nairobi, March 7 -- A South African opposition MP has been fined and forced to apologise for missing the country's budget speech because of a sick baby, sparking criticism in several quarters of the country.

Naledi Chirwa of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) did not attend the budget speech in parliament in February because she said she had to attend to an emergency when her baby fell ill.

Chirwa has been the talk of the town in recent days after the EFF MP apologised on social media on Monday for not attending the budget speech on February 21. She said her four-month-old daughter was ill that day.

Read: South African footballer lands in political storm

The MP's apology came after EFF leader Julius Malema made it clear that members ...