TV and radio presenter Pearl Thusi has been suspended by the SABC over an on-air rant about her colleague Bonang Matheba.
Thusi was suspended with her co-host Phat Joe, real name Majota Khambule, after listeners complained to the SABC about the duo’s alleged daily bashing of Matheba and rapper AKA on their Metro FM radio show, The Real Phat Joe.
Sunday World understands SABC and Metro FM bosses reviewed the show’s tapes following the complaints and concluded that Thusi and Phat Joe had a case to answer.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago confirmed the two were suspended on Thursday.
“The SABC decided not to schedule them because there are issues they have to resolve with the station. Until then, they won’t be on air or scheduled,” said Kganyago.
It is understood that Thusi, currently dating Metro FM sports anchor Robert Marawa, was alerted about her suspension on Thursday while preparing for the show.
“They told her not to come to work on Thursday,” said an SABC insider.
When reached for comment, Phat Joe confirmed the suspension.
“I went to work in the morning and was told I couldn’t go on air,” he said. “When I asked why, nobody could give me the reasons. But I did not know about the suspension before that.”
Thusi’s manager Sarit Tomlinson confirmed the suspension and said they will meet the SABC bosses tomorrow.
According to Matheba’s manager Pumza Nohashe: “Miss Matheba is a contracted freelance radio personality on Metro FM’s daily morning show, The Front Row.
“Her focus is not on any other show, but the continued success and growth of hers.”
Thusi and Bonang have not been seeing eye to eye for a while. Their beef is believed to have started when Bonang outsmarted Thusi to clinch a Revlon endorsement deal.
There were reports that Thusi was sent by Capacity Relations to Revlon as their preferred candidate, but the hair and beauty company rejected her and asked for Matheba, also represented by the same agency at the time.
Last week, fans accused Thusi on social media of making Matheba her special project on her show.
Matheba trended on Twitter on Monday after her fan Ella Stemela asked her why she was keeping quiet and not responding to Thusi’s constant attacks.
Bonang responded: “@EllaStemella @pearlthusi That’s like an old pair of leather shoes that I don’t even know when or where I bought. Soo Tired. Time 4 new ones.” As if Pearl was going to sit back and have her name in the same sentence as old leather shoes. Pearl Thusi fires back at Bonang as the shared pictures of herself in old leather shoes reading adultery book.
??? ?????? pic.twitter.com/KUmlHuflYW
— PEARL THUSI (@PearlThusi) January 20, 2016
Pearl Thusi may have been suspended by Metro FM, but the brunette seems not moved as she laughed off the rumours when asked by a follower and began promoting her late night show, The Black Out, on social media on Saturday night.
Hahahhahahahahahhahaaaaa!!!!! https://t.co/yTwRHwzjwC
— PEARL THUSI (@PearlThusi) January 23, 2016
-sundayworld