The Tamil Action Group (TAG) and South African Tamil Federation (SATF) say the characters are demeaning to Tamils.

Vikash Mathura and Ray Maharaj, who played the roles of Bala and Peru, refused to go on air in April because of discrepancies in their employment contracts. They have been off-air since.

The duo, whose Weekend Lift-off and Weekend Touchdown shows were the highest-rated on Lotus FM, have been performing their comic routine for over 10 years. They have become household names through a cartoon strip, live shows, two CDs and a book.

The Broadcast Electronic Media and Allied Workers' Union said recently on its blog that it had been told by the SABC that the presenters would soon be returning.

But the news has angered the SATF and TAG.

TAG secretary Ruben Pillay said: "The show makes a mockery of the Tamil people. We have come a long way and we speak very good English. Maybe some 40 or 50 years ago our forefathers' accents were not the best, but things have changed."

He said the TAG and SATF had complained to the SABC about the Bala and Peru shows, saying they were not informative or educational.

SATF president Mickey Chetty said if the SABC reinstated Bala and Peru, they would fight it.

"We will raise the issue right to parliament. We are not going to marginalise our community any more," he said.

Kishore Morar of the 1860 Legacy Foundation said a survey conducted last month showed that Maharaj and Mathura had the highest ratings, even though they had not been on air since April.

There is a group on the social networking site Facebook lobbying for the return of Bala and Peru.

The SABC's Kaizer Kganyago said the broadcaster had not made a decision on the pair's return. He could not comment on the views of the SATF and TAG.