Loyiso Gola laughs off 'recycled a joke from Boondocks' claims

SA-born comedian Loyiso Gola has hit back at claims he “recycled” a TV show joke during his Netflix comedy special.

The special, Unlearning, launched in March as the streaming service's first African original for 2021.

While many were impressed with the show, earning Loyiso new fans across the globe, a few claimed he had apparently used a joke from the popular series The Boondocks.

The criticism came up again during an Instagram Stories Q&A session on Wednesday, and Loyiso hit back with another joke.

“I was only trying to save the environment,” he said

The special was previously mocked by Twitter trolls, who said it did not trend and was not funny.

Actors Siv Ngesi and Rob Van Vuuren defended the star, calling critics to order.

Loyiso isn't the first SA comedian to be accused of stealing jokes. 

Trevor Noah hit back at similar claims back in 2010, writing: ''I've noticed that there's a mini smear campaign where a few people on Twitter are saying I steal my material - really? 'Why would I need to steal material and when did I start? How can I be accused of stealing when I perform jokes on my life and who I am?! 

''People who hate you will try everything to discredit you. I'm not stressed by wild rumours. My material speaks for itself ".