South African media personality Gareth Cliff has once again found himself at the centre of controversy, this time for his remarks targeting the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor.
Cliff took to social media to share a photo of Pandor wearing a headscarf, accompanied by the caption: ‘If the best Halloween costume you can think of is dressing up as a turd.’
The post, shared on various social media platforms, quickly gained attention, sparking criticism and varied responses.
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Many online users expressed their disapproval of Cliff’s choice of words. One notable response came from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, who tweeted that Cliff’s comment revealed more about him than it did about Minister Pandor, calling him a ‘miserable soul.’
Dear @GarethCliff. 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! pic.twitter.com/VKxUbWzH4M
— Clayson Monyela (@ClaysonMonyela) November 9, 2023
Responding to the backlash, Cliff asserted that he is indifferent to people being upset or offended by his remarks.
‘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,’ Cliff stated.
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Picture: Gareth Cliff / Facebook