Penny Lebyane welcomes Phat Joe being pulled off air: He's a repeat offender

A decision by the SABC to suspend radio personality Phat Joe has split opinions and left many listeners upset. Others, however,  have welcomed the decision on the basis that Phat Joe has offended them on a number of occasions.

The public broadcaster confirmed to TshisaLIVE on Thursday that Phat Joe was unscheduled "until further notice", in the wake of a backlash over his comments about the LGBTQI+ community on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, Penny Lebyane weighed in on the debate and agreed with the public broadcaster's decision to pull Phat Joe off air, because he is a "repeat offender".

"Umgabulo is necessary for these radio megalomaniacs ... They should have stayed in the ethics class at the radio foundation phase but they were too hot to listen. Now ku rough. Phat Joe," she wrote on Twitter.

Penny explained that radio personalities needed to remember the ethics section of radio 101 and never think that they, as personalities, were bigger than their listeners. 

"A public service mandate comes with responsibility; you can’t abdicate it because you think you want to rock. Know who and where you work for. We are in accountability season; know the times we live in ... "

She added that times had changed and that the days where radio personalities could get away with "deliberately" choosing not to adhere to the guidelines were over.

"There are guidelines and (they) are clear. It’s deliberate to not adhere. Unfortunately times have changed; in the past they got away with it. Not anymore.

She explained that in other spaces, like the corporate world, such behaviour was subject to a disciplinary hearing and it shouldn't be a surprise for radio to apply the same principles.

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