Sol Phenduka Sparks Outrage for Deflecting Mampara of the Week Title to Sandton Restaurant Incident
- Sol Phenduka hit back at a publication that named him Mampara of the Week over his jokes about slain runner Elizabeth Moselakgomo
- Phenduka pointed to a viral incident of a man threatening to kill women at a restaurant, questioning why that man was not labelled Mampara instead
- Social media was divided over Sol's response, with some accusing him of deflecting rather than taking accountability
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Source: Twitter
A South African publication labelled Sol Phenduka the "Mampara of the Week," but he refused to let it go quietly. The radio personality fired back on 20 September 2026, questioning why he was being singled out when far more alarming behaviour had gone viral just a day earlier.
South African newspapers have long used the "Mampara" tag to call out public figures who act foolishly or irresponsibly, and Phenduka was the latest target for the insensitive remarks he and MacG made about Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo on Podcast and Chill.
At the time the episode was recorded, Moselakgomo had gone missing. She later turned up dead. MacG suggested the slain runner could have "kept on running" had she spotted danger in time, while Phenduka leaned on wordplay to joke about her race number. A public apology followed, but the public's anger did not.
Sol Phenduka points to Sandton restaurant incident
Rather than sit with the title quietly, Sol pushed back by redirecting attention to a separate viral incident. A man believed to be businessman Lawrence Chamurwa Mudzinganyama allegedly followed a group of women into the ladies' restroom at the Vlamo restaurant in Sandton on 19 September, reportedly after they rejected his advances and asked him to leave. In a widely shared clip, the man was heard threatening to "murder" the women and "put a bullet in all of you," while boasting about his wealth.
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Phenduka argued that this man was the far more deserving candidate for the week's dishonour.
"Not the man who threatened to kill a woman on camera, in the ladies' room full of women?"
Source: Twitter
Mzansi reacts to Sol Phenduka's response
His deflection did not land well with everyone online, with many feeling he was dodging accountability rather than owning his mistakes.
__Mass posted:
"Take accountability and stop being childish!"
kgosigadi_mo asked:
"Does this sound like a person who is sorry to you?"
Mnix27 said:
"Just because he one-upped you doesn't let you off the hook."
See the viral post below.
MacG maintains silence amid backlash
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared insight into the backlash directed at MacG and Sol Phenduka over their insensitive remarks about Elizabeth "Tsontso" Moselakgomo.
Despite his podcast co-host issuing a public apology, MacG has remained silent throughout the ordeal.
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Source: Briefly News
