“Pro-Black” Tumi pulls no punches
Listeners angered by radio host’s racial comments
Listeners of Jacaranda FM are calling for Tumi Morake to be fired by the station after she made comments on air they believed to be racist.
Morake, a popular comedian and actress who co-hosts Jacaranda FM Breakfast show with Martin Bester, said on Tuesday she was “pro-black”, a statement that did not go down well with many of her listeners.
She and Bester were discussing Steve Hofmeyr’s show that was reportedly cancelled in New Zealand. The show in Wellington was reportedly cancelled because of protests by South African expats there opposed to Hofmeyr’s racially provocative statements back home. But Hofmeyr’s team denied this and said the show was cancelled because of venue prices.
Jacaranda listeners called in and some expressed their dissatisfaction about what Morake said. At the end of the show Morake said: “Can I speak honestly, not as a Jacaranda DJ and without worrying about BCCSA [Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa]. I hate to have to explain or apologise about being problack and my Pan-Africanness. The fact is that I did come from Struggle parents and there are certain race issues that are not tackled enough.”
Listeners were not impressed and vented their anger on Facebook. Colette Coetzee posted: “The comments of Tumi Morake about white South Africans is really racist and uncalled for. This helps to divide a nation and not to unify us.
“Stop putting people in boxes because of their skin colour. I am very disappointed. I am urging the station’s management to take serious disciplinary action against her.”
Mia-Daniel Bester ¸posted: “Ridiculous! If a white presenter made such comments, they would have been ridiculed by your management. You have let the minority of this country down big time Jacaranda.”
Jacaranda FM general manger, Kevin Fine said yesterday the station “supports a non-racial society and does not condone hate speech in any form on its platform”.
“The station’s on-air content aims to promote important and meaningful discussions, with the intention to building and uniting South Africa as a nation. We believe that having these crucial conversations is an important feature of our role in society.”
Morake also endured racial attacks on social media. “You are the most annoying person on radio... please resign and go to the bush‚” read one of the messages.
“You must resign and leave our land alone. You black South Africans mess up everything in our beautiful land. With your government‚ crime and swaarheaid [sic]‚” read another message.
Morake said yesterday that she had realised since she started hosting the show two months ago there were people who criticised her, not for her skills but because they did not believe she belonged there.
“I said we need to have a conversation about the history of our past, I never said white people must be punished. I am speaking from an experience as a black woman who has been hosting the show.
“Being pro-black does not mean I am anti-white. I love this country, you cannot claim to love the country if you don’t love its people. I am educated, not stupid, I think before talking,” Morake said.
‘‘ Being problack does not mean I’m antiwhite. I love this country