TV producer and presenter Minnie Dlamini has initiated legal proceedings against “Podcast and Chill” co-hosts MacGyver “MacG” Mukwevho and Sol Phenduka. The unfolding drama comes as the latest chapter in an ongoing feud between Dlamini and Mukwevho, poised to captivate audiences across the nation.
According to reports from Sunday World, Dlamini has taken her fight to the Equality Court, demanding R2.5 million in damages. She accuses Mukwevho of hate speech, unfair discrimination, and harassment based on her gender.
This legal move follows crudely derogatory remarks made by Mukwevho regarding Dlamini’s recent breakup with former boyfriend Dr Brian Monaisa, suggesting, “Why can’t she keep a man? There’s got to be something wrong with her, maybe her coochie smells or something.”The comment ignited outrage, prompting Mukwevho to later issue an apology. He expressed remorse, stating, “I want to apologise first and foremost to all the female chillers and just women in general in South Africa that I might have offended with that comment, that was not the intention.”
He even extended an invitation for Dlamini to join the podcast in an effort to “squash it once and for all.” However, it appears that this olive branch was not well received. Dlamini, rejecting Mukwevho’s apology, asserted that his comments represented a significant breach of her dignity and rights. In her court documents, she characterises the exchange as “a grotesque and deeply harmful violation of my dignity, my humanity, and my constitutional rights as a woman.”
She specified her demands clearly: R1 million for the impairment of her dignity and R1.5 million to be paid to a women’s organisation, indicating her desire for Mukwevho and Phenduka to face serious repercussions for their actions. The legal documents set forth additional stipulations, including a court-approved apology from Mukwevho and Phenduka addressed not only to her but to women in general. Furthermore, Dlamini is advocating for both men to undergo gender sensitisation training and perform unpaid service at institutions working against gender-based violence.
The case is poised to test the boundaries of legal accountability in instances of public discourse and commentary in South Africa.Before this incident, Mukwevho and Phenduka had previously shared disturbing allegations about Dlamini, insinuating that she exchanged sexual favours for monetary gain and peddled unfounded rumours. Dlamini argues that these earlier comments further contribute to a pattern of hate speech directed at her.