Cape Town – South African media personality Gareth Cliff is stirring up controversy again, this time for calling the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, a “turd” on social media.
The podcaster posted a picture of Pandor wearing a headscarf with the caption: “If the best Halloween costume you can think of is dressing up as a turd.”
Cliff’s remark clearly didn’t sit well with numerous online users, prompting a variety of reactions and opinions.
“Dear @GarethCliff. If you meant this as an attack on Dr Naledi Pandor, you missed. It tells us more about you. I won’t bother attaching the obvious labels. What a miserable soul you are!,” the department’s spokesperson ClaysonMonyela wrote on X.
Dear @GarethCliff. If you meant this as an attack on Dr Naledi Pandor, you missed. It tells us more about you. I won’t bother attaching the obvious labels. What a miserable soul you are! pic.twitter.com/VKxUbWzH4M
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) November 9, 2023
In response to the backlash, Cliff asserted that he doesn’t care if people are upset or offended, saying that it’s their problem to deal with.
“To be clear: I don’t care if you’re upset or offended. Those are your problems to deal with.
“I’m not required to be polite or tiptoe around your emotional fragility. As 2024 rolls around, expect me to care even less.
“And call me whatever you like. You don’t know what’s in my head. You can’t know. I’m very happy and very lucky to be me.
“I’m grateful for that and disinterested in what strangers might think of me. I foresee a year of great excitement in 2024.”
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Picture: Twitter/ @BonganiStevenD
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
