The mayor of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, has been criticised for saying that giving schoolgirls sanitary pads would make them focus on sex.

Herman Mashaba comments were sparked by a picture showing the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Nomvula Mokonyane, handing over packs of pads to pupils in reception, aged under six years old, IOL news site reports.

He tweeted that he was “nervous” it that it would make “kids to focus on sex”.

Ms Mokonyane clarified that the sanitary pads were for older pupils at the school and it was gift packs that had been handed out to the younger students.