Zodwa Wabantu apologises for homophobic rant
Zodwa Wabantu has finally apologised for the homophobic statements she made on her reality show last week.
During the episode, Zodwa said: "Gays are silly because they are fighting with women. Name one gay who has never fought with a woman in the industry. Their problem is that gays are convinced that they have vaginas, while they have penises. We accommodate you guys because you wear make-up and when we, as women, talk about men you’re always there contributing to the conversation.”
READ: Zodwa on 'homophobic' comments backlash: 'I'm calling it as I see it'
The comments upset many viewers - and Zodwa received serious backlash on social media.
Some even called for her show, 'Zodwa Wabantu: Uncensored', to be cancelled. The LGBTQ advocacy group, Johannesburg Pride, also demanded that MultiChoice suspend the series on Moja Love "with immediate effect".
Zodwa has since apologised for her utterances.
In her apology, Zodwa said that she didn’t mean to insult or hurt anyone.
“I’d like to say to every bisexual, transgender, gays, I’d like to apologise from the bottom of my heart. I’m sorry,” said Zodwa.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I got some calls from my friend, Olwee, DJ who lives in Durban North. He wrote to me saying that based on our conversation on the phone, we understand what kind of person you are and how you put things. We are not fighting that. Now, when you say “aninakhekhe, ninepipi” this statement is homophobic because it misunderstands gay people. It is also transphobic because it looks down on people who are transgender.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t know what I said it means like this. No one must harass anyone."
Moja Love also issued an apology.
"The MultiChoice Group distances itself from the commentary made by Zodwa Wabantu on independent channel Moja Love. It is important to note that, as Moja Love is an independent third-party channel, MultiChoice Group does not exercise editorial control over their broadcast. MultiChoice strongly condemns any acts of discrimination. As such we distance ourselves from the comments made by Zodwa Wabantu. We welcome a society where freedom of speech and diversity is celebrated, and we take a stand against discrimination in all instances," the broadcaster told Channel24.