Phat Joe leaves Radio 2000

Less than a year after joining Radio 2000, controversial shock jock Phat Joe has resigned as the station's breakfast show host.

His resignation was confirmed in a statement by the SABC on Friday.

“The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) radio station, Radio 2000, would like to announce the resignation of its breakfast show host, Mr Majota ‘Phat Joe’ Khambule. Phat Joe joined the breakfast show ‘Phat Joe and the family’ in April 2019.” 

The station did not give any other details concerning his resignation but wished him well and said his replacement would be announced in due time.

“The station would like to wish Phat Joe well on his future endeavours and thanks him for his contribution to the station. Radio 2000 will in due course announce the changes to its line-up and will keep its listeners abreast of any further developments.”

The host had sparked rumours of a possible exit from the station last month when he missed several shows. SABC spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo told Daily Sun that the DJ was “on special leave”.

Joe has landed himself in hot water at several radio stations in the past and was in July suspended by his bosses at Radio 2000 for three weeks over his comments about the LGBTIQ+ community.

The star had weighed in on a debate about comments made by Zodwa Wabantu saying that gay people were too dramatic and “forget that they don't have vaginas”. Sharing his thoughts, Joe allegedly asked why gay men would not accept how hard it was “for most people to accept their lifestyle”.

In August he apologised to listeners and members of the LGBTIQ+ community after he used the word “tranny”, an offensive word for a transgender person, in a conversation about Cardi B.

He also landed in hot water for questioning Anele Mdoda's inclusion on the Miss SA judging panel and suggested she was just there to make up the numbers.

His comments drew fierce criticism from Anele. Joe laughed off the clapback on his radio show, but later apologised to Anele, claiming he had only been joking.

A month later he was dragged on social media for engaging a man on the topic of men being abused in relationships, while the country battled with several reports of femicide and gender-based violence.