Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma Apologises for Past Tribalist and Colourist Remarks Amid Backlash

• Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma apologised to her supporters and fellow South Africans at large for her derogatory comments
• The former radio personality was called out for her old social media posts, where she insulted people from Limpopo and was labelled a tribalist and colourist
• Her apology drew mixed reactions from the online community, where several supporters accepted it, while others seemingly distanced themselves

Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has issued a public apology to her supporters and the nation at large, seeking forgiveness for a series of derogatory X (formerly Twitter) posts that recently resurfaced.

The former radio personality found herself at the centre of a heated controversy after her past comments, allegedly displaying tribalist and colourist undertones, went viral and ignited a firestorm of reactions from social media users.

In the controversial posts, which date back to as far as 2011, Ngobese-Zuma targeted people from Limpopo regarding their complexion and made derogatory comments about the Venda and Tsonga languages.

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Despite deleting the posts from her page, screenshots have since gone viral, sparking a wave of backlash, with even her own supporters distancing themselves and shaming the March and March leader.

In a public apology on the same page that landed her in serious trouble, Ngobese-Zuma said she wrote the posts when she was "young, dumb and stupid."

"I had not been exposed to the real world and viewed life in a very myopic way! I don't remember what they were about, but that is not even relevant because they were wrong and distasteful in nature!"

She went on to plead for forgiveness from the people whom she had hurt and disappointed. She took responsibility for her comments and apologised for any foul remarks she may have made in the past, saying she is not the same person.

"To the people I have hurt and disappointed, please forgive me. I don't deserve it, but I would appreciate it. I understand that it's not easy to view them as anything other than what they are, and I take full responsibility for them. Ngyaxolisa Kakhulu for anything I might have said in the past, that's not who I am now!"

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While many of her supporters accepted her apology, others continued to express their disappointment and disapproval of the activist.

The controversy has further fueled a wider debate about the R35,000 raised by supporters to buy her two cows in recognition of her anti-immigrant protests and fight for fellow South Africans, with some critics arguing that she did not deserve their generosity.

See the screenshots of Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma's posts below.

Social media reacts to Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma's apology

Critics were quick to slam Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, arguing that she hadn't changed and revisited her alleged tribalist chant during a vibrant march.

mentalist1708 said:

"Imagine the irony of claiming to fight for the people while spending your free time mocking their languages and skin tones."

Phumla_N wrote:

"Always remember that tribalism, just like racism, is indoctrinated. Jacinta is not sorry because she never saw an issue with that tribalistic chant she happily sang three weeks ago at that EC march. Her past tweets only serve as confirmation that she has always been a tribalist. It’s in her DNA and she will never unlearn it."

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Meanwhile, her supporters also made their presence felt, declaring that they had forgiven her.

gwanana_Modimo said:

"I’m from Limpopo and am a Limpopo girl who fully supports and stands with @JacintaNgobese. Y’all will never make us hate her. She is fully forgiven, and we want her to never be discouraged from dealing with illegal foreigners in our country."

Cesc_Decent defended Ngobese-Zuma:

"Nobody is perfect. As a Tsonga-speaking person, I accept her apology as we all have made mistakes in the past. I will continue supporting her March and March movement until it realizes it's end goal. Danko."

MphozaM7 wrote:

"I am from Venda, and I stand with @JacintaNgobese. I have accepted her apology."

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Source: Briefly News