Controversial comedian Gareth Cliff courted backlash over his now-deleted disparaging comments about Department of International Relations (DIRCO) Minister Naledi Pandor.
What Gareth Cliff said about Naledi Pandor
The radiocaster, whose reputation with tongue-in-cheek commentary that, at times, borders on race-baiting, has landed him in similar predicaments in the past, drew ire from political circles when, in a series of since-deleted Instagram posts, he likened Pandor to a turd.
“When the best you can come up with for Halloween is to dress up as a turd,” Cliff captioned a picture of Pandor wearing a brown hijab.
Cliff’s derogatory remarks sparked outrage on social media. DIRCO’s Head of Public Diplomacy Clayson Manyela did not mince his words in condemning the comedian’s choice of words.
“Dear [Gareth Cliff]. If you meant this as an attack on Dr Naledi Pandor, you missed. It tells us more about you. I won’t bother attaching the obvious labels. What a miserable soul you are!” he posted on X.
Reacting to the backlash, Cliff doubled down on his remarks, blasting his naysayers as ‘stupid’ and hypocrites.
“People are very stupid. The ones who get upset when I say John Steenhuisen needs to lose weight if he wants votes are different to the ones who get upset when I call Joe Biden a cadaver and those are different to the ones who get cross when I talk about Naledi Pandor All hypocrites,” Cliff shared on Instagram.
The comedian made it abundantly clear he did not care much about the backlash.
“To be clear: I don’t care if you’re upset or offended. Those are your problems to deal with. I’m not required to be polite or tiptoe around your emotional fragility. As 2024 rolls around, expect me to care even less.
“And call me whatever you like. You don’t know what’s in my head. You can’t know. I’m very happy and very lucky to be me. I’m grateful for that and disinterested in what strangers might think of me. I foresee a year of great excitement in 2024,” he wrote.
The incident unfolded against the backdrop of Pandor’s compelling address to the National Assembly regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Minister Pandor, focusing on the humanitarian crisis, called for a series of actions including an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of aid corridors to assist those affected by the violence.
Addressing the National Assembly on the ongoing conflict, the minister vehemently denounced the “indiscriminate bombardment” by Israeli forces.
Pandor presented a seven-point action plan urging South Africans and the international community to advocate for a ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian aid corridors.
Her comprehensive strategy also called for the cessation of arms supplies, the release of civilian hostages, and the creation of a Middle East nuclear weapons-free zone.
