Nobuhle Mkhize Apologises to Coloured Community After FlySafair Incident, SA Snubs Her

• The South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) former brand manager, Nobuhle Mkhize, has spoken out months after the infamous FlySafair incident
• She got into an altercation with a coloured flight attendant while allegedly intoxicated, and the SABC then fired her
• She apologised to the coloured community, but many rejected her apology and slammed her for her conduct
• Briefly News spoke with seasoned reputation strategist Marilize Jacobs to discuss whether a public apology can effectively restore a person’s reputation

With 7 years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist, provided coverage of current affairs, shedding light on critical social infrastructure challenges and unemployment.

JOHANNESBURG — The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) former brand manager Nobuhle Mkhize has apologised to the coloured community for her rant against a coloured FlySafair flight attendant. she also revealed that she is dragging her former employer to the labour court for dismissing her.

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What did Mkhize say?

Mkhize went viral shortly after Christmas in 2024 when she got into a fight with a flight attendant on a flight from Cape Town. In the videos that trended, she is heard verbally attacking the flight attendants and insulting her. She was shortly fired after the incident, and there was a public outcry about her tirade, including an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission.

She apologised to the coloured community and said the way she behaved was not how she was raised. She insisted that she was not racist because she had coloured friends. She also said that she served the South African Police Service (SAPS) and FlySafair with court papers.

She alleged that she was strangled and pinned against the windows. She also said the SABC axed her unfairly, and that she'd be taking them to labour court. She insisted that she was not drunk and that she had two drinks. She then said the flight attendant attacked her first.

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What you need to know about Nobuhle Mkhize

• The Patriotic Alliance announced that the party filed a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission against Mkhize after her conduct.
• The South African Civil Aviation Authority slammed her conduct in a statement they released on 30 December 2024.
• The SAHRC called on the public to present evidence of what happened during the flight.
• The Democratic Alliance opened a case of crime injuria against her after the incident.

VocalCord Reputation Management Specialist, Marilize Jacobs, warned that brands and individuals can find themselves at the centre of controversy in an instant. She explained:

"One moment, they’re just another name online. The next, they’re a trending topic, a viral talking point, and the subject of a shareable controversy. When these forces collide, you have a full-blown social media crisis on your hands."

South Africans reject apology

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Netizens commenting on TimeLIVE's Facebook page snubbed her apology.

Ronald Clemo said:

"That is who you are. You just hid it very well, but the alcohol just brought it to the surface."

Didi Jacobs said:

"Ony sorry because you were put on blast."

Thobela Msindisi Wonqevu Mtambeki said:

"The apology seems way too familiar."

Wendy White said:

"Whatever is in the mind comes out of the mouth."

Clive Prince said:

"Daddy's credentials aren't going to save you."

Benna Mthethwa said:

"Well, too late. It showed the truth about how you were brought up. That was uncalled for."

Somizi mocks Nobuhle Mkhize in viral video

In another article, Briefly News reported that Somizi Mhlongo teased Nobuhle Mkhize in a clip that went viral. The clip shows Mhlongo on a flight, saying he wants to create drama.

The video left many people on the internet in stitches. One netizen jokingly suggested that he should have had a drink first.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News