South African media personality, Somizi Mhlongo, found himself at the centre of a Twitter storm after offering unsolicited advice to women during a discussion on relationships.
Somizi says women can control how men treat them
While accustomed to being in the spotlight, this time the flamboyant Idols SA judge trended for all the wrong reasons, drawing criticism and ire from social media users.
The controversy erupted during a conversation between Somizi and Khutso Theledi on Metro FM’s midmorning show.
Following the discussion, Theledi shared a soundbite of the interview, where Somizi was heard suggesting women have the power to change how they are treated by men.
He stated that although women may not be able to alter men’s behaviour directly, they possess the ability to influence how they want to be treated and should exercise that control.
Somizi further encouraged parents to teach their children about the importance of using protection during sexual encounters.
While the tweet containing the soundbite has since been deleted, the backlash against Somizi persisted, with social media users expressing their frustration and disappointment over his comments.
Many believed that his advice placed undue responsibility on women and failed to address the underlying issues of gender inequality and toxic masculinity.
Here are some of the reactions we picked out:
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