Sol Phenduka Distances Himself From MacG in Minnie Dlamini Equality Court Case
In a dramatic turn of events, radio presenter and podcaster Sol Phenduka appears to have distanced himself from his "Podcast and Chill with MacG" co-host, MacG, amidst a legal battle with TV personality Minnie Dlamini. Dlamini has taken the controversial podcast duo to the Equality Court, alleging unfair discrimination, hate speech, and harassment stemming from disparaging remarks made about her on their show.
The legal action follows MacG's on-air allegations concerning Dlamini's romantic relationships and personal hygiene. MacG claimed that Dlamini's relationships with men were short-lived due to poor feminine hygiene. He also accused her of being a "gold digger" who dates wealthy men for financial gain. While MacG issued what was described as a "half-hearted apology" after the initial backlash, Dlamini has pressed forward with legal proceedings.
Dlamini is seeking a court order compelling both podcasters to pay her R1 million in damages, as well as a further R1.5 million to be donated to Women for Change, a non-profit organisation.
Now, Sol Phenduka, whose full name is Solomzi Thandubuntu Phenduka, has submitted an answering affidavit in which he seemingly attempts to distance himself from MacG's offensive comments.
In the affidavit, Sol claims that the remarks were solely made by MacG. He further states that he has no control over the editing or uploading of podcast episodes.
"The complainant’s claims against me are mainly based on comments made on the podcast by my co-host, to which I cannot be directly linked," Sol states in the affidavit. "The Podcast and Chill YouTube channel forms part of a greater podcast network with multiple employees and staff. As I am only employed as a co-host, I have no control, power or authority to edit or upload any episode on the channel. Claims against me should be dismissed with costs."
Sol also defends the use of the word "smashing" in a separate podcast episode featuring Jub Jub, where they discussed the hip-hop artist’s alleged romantic relationships with Kelly Khumalo, Amanda du Pont, and Masechaba Khumalo.
"The word ‘smashing’ is a slang term whose meaning shifts depending on the context in which it is used. It generally does not have a negative connotation as alleged by the complainant," Sol argues. "In our interview, the word was used when asking our guest how many women he had slept with. This question has been posed to multiple guests without any outrage."
Sol, who was previously fired from Kaya FM following his involvement in the controversial podcast episode, maintains that his comments do not constitute hate speech, harassment, or unfair discrimination.
"I submit that the allegations made against me are untrue and that my actions do not constitute harassment, unfair discrimination based on gender or sex, or discrimination against South African women generally. My platform has empowered and featured many female voices and presents a fair reflection of society," he wrote.
He also raises questions about why Minnie Dlamini is requesting that the payment be made to Women for Change, given that the organisation is not a co-applicant in the case.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Sol confirmed that the affidavit was prepared by his legal team and stated that he would only comment further after reviewing it himself. "Please send it to me," he requested.
At the time of publication, MacG had not responded to requests for comment. The case is set to be a closely watched legal battle, raising important questions about freedom of speech, accountability, and the impact of podcasting on public discourse in South Africa.
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