Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng blasted ‘Power To Truth‘ host JJ Tabane as a “buffoon journalist” with no credibility during a heated engagement that went viral on social media.
Watch: Prof Phakeng calls JJ Tabane a ‘buffoon journalist’ on live TV
What was meant to be an engaging conversation between two thought leaders and an opportunity for Prof Phakeng to address recent developments in her long-drawn-out tussle with the University of Cape Town (UCT), quickly disintegrated into utter chaos.
Truly, the moment Phakeng lost her cool and delayed a scheduled ad break by a few minutes to deliver her vitriol to an utterly gob-smacked Tabane, who, at that point, had lost control as the lead coordinator of the programme, is a rare occurrence on live TV.
One almost harkens back to 2010, when Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) secretary general André Visagie caused a furore for threatening political analyst Liepello Pheko during a heated debate moderated by Etv’s Chris Maroleng, to remember the last time a blooper of this magnitude was seen on live TV.
Here’s a look at the moment Prof Phakeng saw red and launched a scathing verbal onslaught on JJ Tabane:
The professor’s viral moment came around the same time reports fluttered about her being placed on special leave only days before concluding her tenure at UCT.
A leaked letter addressed to the university’s leadership council mysteriously surfaced on a News24 exclusive, where the embattled vice-chancellor made several jarring assertions about her time at the helm of Africa’s most successful higher education institution.
The letter also made mention of a reported R12 million settlement the university may have forked out to persuade Professor Phakeng into taking early retirement, claims she was quick to dismiss.
Outside of the ongoing controversy in her professional capacity, Phakeng spent her last days at UCT on campus grounds, bidding farewell to students and taking pictures that may form part of an integral part of the university’s history in years to come.
Prior to developments around Phakeng’s special leave, her last day as UCT vice-chancellor was set to be on Friday, 3 March 2023.
