Ntsiki Mazwai Calls Out Radio 702 for Excluding Her From Joburg Mayoral Debate

• Ntsiki Mazwai publicly questioned Radio 702 after she and fellow candidate Gndzongana were left out of its Johannesburg mayoral candidates' debate
• The station hosted four mayoral hopefuls from ActionSA, Rise Mzansi, the Patriotic Alliance and BOSA ahead of the November 4th elections
• Mzansi weighed in on whether the exclusion was fair, with opinions split sharply along political and media lines

Poet, singer and Johannesburg mayoral hopeful Ntsiki Mazwai turned heads on Thursday, 19 September 2026, after publicly calling out Radio 702 for leaving her out of its Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate Debate. Tagging fellow candidate Gndzongana in her post, she wrote: "So Vele we were excluded @gndzongana Interesting" — a short but pointed response to the station's coverage ahead of the November 4th local elections.

Who joined the 702 debate?

Radio 702 hosted four mayoral contenders for the city of Johannesburg: Ayanda Allie from ActionSA, Lukhona Mnguni from Rise Mzansi, Kenny Kunene from the Patriotic Alliance, and Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster from BOSA. Mazwai, who has been campaigning as a mayoral candidate, was conspicuously absent from the line-up, along with Gndzongana.

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Mazwai, widely known for her outspoken social commentary as much as her artistic career, has been making waves with her 2026 mayoral bid. Her exclusion from the debate platform drew swift reactions online, with supporters and critics both jumping into the conversation.

Mzansi reacts to Ntsiki's exclusion

The post quickly attracted strong opinions from across the political spectrum. Below are some of the responses:

@Tebzolah wrote: "Come on my sister, you have to prove yourself first, these people have numbers, it cant just be about registering a party with IEC. After elections once you have voters, then you may be invited."

@zukofipaza offered a different take: "Media is controlled by certain families and clans in SA, it's an undercover mafia. If you are against the interest of those clans forget invitations."

@lepzaaa was less than sympathetic to the station's choices: "Don't stress, it seems they were only focusing on the smaller-nyana parties... just look at them, they look dusty."

@AzaniaIzweLethu was blunt in dismissing Mazwai's candidacy: "You're not a factor at all and there are no hopes of you winning, so inviting you was a waste of time. Continue trying convincing people to vote for you with your love for the illegal foreigners."

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The debate around who qualifies for a platform in South African politics is far from new, with smaller parties often finding themselves shut out of mainstream media coverage. Whether Mazwai's exclusion was a matter of electoral standing or something else entirely remains a question her supporters are unlikely to let drop ahead of November.

Source: Briefly News