SABC suspends Unathi over Twitter tirade

Metro FM presenter Unathi Msengana has been suspended from her breakfast show, The First Avenue. File picture: Paballo Thekiso

Metro FM presenter Unathi Msengana has been suspended from her breakfast show, The First Avenue. File picture: Paballo Thekiso

Published Aug 27, 2015

Share

Johannesburg - Unathi Msengana has been suspended by the SABC after she allegedly called a 19-year-old student a “psycho b***h” in a messy Twitter spat.

The Idols SA judge and Metro FM presenter has been suspended from her breakfast show, The First Avenue, after launching a vulgar Twitter tirade against the University of the Witwatersrand student, Palomino Jama.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told Destiny magazine on Wednesday: “The questions she asked on air were valid and there was nothing wrong with her questions. We have no control over DJs and what they do in their private space, but our DJs should know that they are representatives of the brand.”

On Monday, Jama had contributed to the trending #UnathiBeLike hashtag that was created to give examples of how Msengana’s logic apparently failed.

Jama tweeted: “Wife gets beaten by husband. Unathi: Why didn’t you become a lesbian? You married him knowing men can be abusive.”

The next morning, Jama woke up to a number of private messages from Msengana’s Twitter account, saying: “Do you think insulting me, my marriage and my sexuality is going to change your situation? You’re a f***ing idiot if so… you’re f***ing delusional if you think you can get personal. F*** your stupid mind. No amount is going to change our realities. You psycho b***h. F*** you twice over.”

Jama replied on Twitter: “Nothing warrants me being f***** twice over or being called a psycho b***h by a woman who is old enough to be my mother. Someone I had respect for.”

On Wednesday, Kganyago said: “We decided to put her off until we finish engaging with her about the issue. I cannot say when she will be back; she could be back at work tomorrow or any other day. The sooner we finish engaging with her, the quicker she can be scheduled back on air.”

In response to news of the suspension, Jama tweeted: “I’m not happy about what has happened to Sis Unathi. I honestly just wish the whole thing never happened.”

[email protected]

The Star

Related Topics: