Tumi Morake apologises for 'insensitive' Down's syndrome joke

Comedian Tumi Morake has issued a public apology after she landed in hot water for "insensitive" comments she made about Down's syndrome earlier this year. 

Tumi issued a statement on social media on Wednesday after her comments were cast into the spotlight by a rebroadcast of a comedy roast battle she did earlier this year. 

A mom who has a child with Down's syndrome called Tumi out on social media, labelling the comments "hurtful". 

"Dear Tumi, last night on Comedy Central Africa, they played your roast battle. I was very very disappointed to hear you say your opponent was  two p***y klaps away from having down syndrome. As a parent of a child with Down's syndrome this was hurtful and just unacceptable," the woman said on Instagram. 

Tumi later took to her Facebook page to apologise to the mother, saying the comments were not meant to discriminate or hurt. 

"A while ago we did the roast comedy battle and in the height of insulting each other I used Down's syndrome in a punchline. I apologise unreservedly for my comments. I do not condone in any way the discrimination against or the ignorance around people with DS," she said. 

The comedian admitted that her joke was insensitive and not well-thought out.

"My niece also has Down's syndrome. It was a comedy environment, I wasn't thinking, we were just going for the punch, I apologise unreservedly. It won't make it right but I hope you hear that I acknowledge the insensitivity of it. I hope you can forgive me. I have just watched the clip back and you have every right to be upset. Again, it really was not out to discriminate or hurt."

Tumi went on to promise to try her best to make it right and said her attempts to rectify her mistake will as public as her mistake was.

"I will do whatever it takes to make it right, I was not out to harm, and I own up to how hurtful, thoughtless, harmful and ignorant it was. I will do my best make it right, and it will be as public as the way the offence came."