Controversial podcast hosts apologises to Mzansi
The hosts of the Open Chats Podcast have come under fire after making comments about the Coloured community that many South Africans deemed offensive and discriminatory.
The remarks, made two weeks ago, sparked widespread outrage online, with calls for the presenters to be held accountable.
In response to the backlash, the podcast team released two separate apology statements, one issued through their attorneys and another directly from the hosts themselves.
The legal statement described the comments as “unfortunate, reckless and unAfrican,” further admitting they breached Section 9 of the South African Constitution. It read:
“Our clients hereby deeply apologise for the pain and hurt that they have caused to the Coloured community of South Africa. Our clients acknowledge unreservedly that the utterances made were inappropriate, sexist, racist, unfortunate, irresponsible, reckless, reminiscent of Apartheid and unAfrican (contrary to the Spirit of Ubuntu), which were also tantamount to hate speech.”
The team has since taken down the controversial episode, although they noted that some clips may still circulate online.
In their personal statement, the young hosts stressed they had no malicious intent and accepted full responsibility for their words.
“The intention was never to cause harm or disrespect the Coloured community. Open Chats is a platform centred around open conversations, which at times touch on sensitive topics, and with that said, we do understand that as a platform, we should conduct our conversations respectfully. We would like to clarify that Open Chats Podcast does not promote or support racism or discrimination. As seen in previous episodes, we have had a wide range of guests on the show, including our Coloured community in numerous episodes.”
Despite the apologies, the incident has continued to stir debate online, with many urging the hosts to learn from the controversy and exercise greater sensitivity in future discussions.
Joy Adekunle
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