In the Season 1 finale episode, Ayanda was seen asking Laconco saying she wanted to ask Kgomotso what language she was fluent in since she spoke “terrible English and Setswana”.
Ayanda then went on to say that Kgomotso was not black. While the subtitles read “She is not black, she’s Tswana”, viewers of the Showmax reality series felt that Ayanda was out of line for making that comment and accused her of being a tribalist.
Following the episode and social media backlash for her comments, Ayanda addressed the allegations.
“The subtitles did not properly translate what I was saying, she told IOL Entertainment sister publication, Isolezwe. “I will explain everything properly during the reunion show, but I will say this; when we gather as a group of people in KZN, we classify people according to their tribes such as umuntu (Zulu speaking person), Indian, Coloured and Xhosa speaking people.”
She added, “If people heard me correctly, I said Kgomotso is not Zulu she is a Tswana person. I will explain everything properly but I am not a mean person at all”
Responding to the backlash at the time, Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice Channel Director: Local Entertainment said, “As a streaming platform, Showmax does not endorse any actions or comments made on any of the content available, be it reality TV or fictional series and movies or documentaries. We believe good content should encourage debate and discussions on key issues in our society. As a company, Showmax believes South Africa belongs to all who live in it. We reject any form of discrimination.”
Photo Credit: Showmax SA