Sol Phenduka Says Sorry For Kempton Park Jokes — Mzansi Says It's Too Late

Sol Phenduka has issued a public apology after facing backlash for insensitive comments made on Podcast and Chill about the disappearance of Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo and the wave of killings targeting women in Kempton Park and Ekurhuleni.

The episode had been recorded on the Sunday before Moselakgomo was confirmed dead, with Phenduka and co-host MacG joking about her disappearance while the search was still ongoing. The backlash was swift, and it has once again put a spotlight on how creator accountability actually works in South Africa's digital media space.

During the episode, MacG had remarked, "You'd think the lady would keep on running," prompting Phenduka to build on the joke rather than shut it down.

"Sometimes you are running, and someone comes from the woods, from the darkness, and then snatches you. They see numbers on your chest. Someone in the woods saw that she's got your numbers and thought, 'Yo, we are taking this one,'" he said at the time, as the pair laughed through the exchange.

Inside Sol Phenduka's Apology Video

Facing mounting online pressure, Phenduka posted a video acknowledging that his contribution to the segment had been out of line. "I made an unfortunate pun joke at the time. Yeah, we laughed, but it's not funny anymore because the lady, when the story developed, her body was found in Kempton Park," he said.

He went further, admitting that joking about an active missing-persons case was inappropriate given South Africa's ongoing femicide crisis, calling it "distasteful because it is a traumatic situation."

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Phenduka also pointed to his past comments on gender-based violence on the show, saying, "I've always been clear where I stand on GBV on the network many times over the hundreds of episodes we've recorded. I'd never make light of such a tragic moment."

He closed the video with a direct appeal to men: "I just want to plead with men to stop the violence because it's mostly men who are the perpetrators."

Why The Apology Hasn't Cooled Down The Backlash

Despite the video, critics were largely unmoved, with many pointing to what they see as a repeating pattern: shock-value commentary followed by a quick apology once brand deals and sponsors are on the line, with no real change to how the show operates.

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While some loyal listeners defended the remarks as the podcast's usual brand of edgy comedy, gender activists and media commentators have pushed back hard, arguing that trivialising GBV during an active national crisis is a line that shouldn't be crossed.

Commenters were particularly sceptical about whether the apology carried any real weight. @she_JD14 asked bluntly, "Did you DELETE THE VIDEO? If not, then that's a useless apology!!!", while @TheDeveloperess argued along similar lines, saying an apology means little "if the video is still up."

@Ke_Mpho_M went further, accusing both hosts of a broader pattern of disrespect toward women, writing that "the joke was never funny, whether the woman was still alive or not." @Zulu_Loveletter took a more reflective tone, urging Phenduka to break the cycle: "You can't keep having the same human experience over and over again... Khula and meet your higher self."

Meanwhile @mfiso_lee suggested the real issue sits above him, writing, "Pity your boss won't apologize and will probably mock you for this video," and @Apheshhh rejected the "just missing" framing outright, calling the joke "insensitive" and "not even in a funny way."

As it stands, the apology has done little to settle the controversy, with much of the conversation now centring on whether the show itself will face any lasting consequences.