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Cape Town - Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula and sports presenter Robert Marawa have been having a heated back and forth on a number of forums, including Twitter.
Their beef seems to date back to November 2016 when Robert invited Fikile to be a guest on Metro FM to talk about transformation.
Fikile didn't make it to the show. Marawa then reportedly still spoke about Mbalula in a way that the minister saw as negative. Mbalula then wrote a letter to Metro FM about what Marawa said.
Then in February - when it was announced that Durban might lose the Commonwealth Games - Robert and Fikile got into a twar with a series of tweets in which the sports presenter sent a tweet to the minister which said "I have no 'gripe' FYI. I have a different opinion. Different to u trying to get me fired from MetroFM, that's a gripe...(sic)"
Here's that full exchange:
Robert has since blocked Fikile on Twitter.
The Juice spoke to Fikile about this exchange and what happened in November and he said: "Sometimes I cannot make it to an event. When Robert invited me on Metro FM (that time) I couldn't make it. When that happens I send the DG (director general)."
Fikile added: "I mean I have never had anything against Robert, I responded to him when he interacted with me. When it came to the (Commonwealth) games he disagreed with us. Which is also fine we are not twins. He is the first guy who criticises us. In that Room Dividers (a segment on Robert's show on Metro FM) Robert Marawa organised people in the studio to attack me. I then wrote a letter to Metro FM.
"Metro FM got back to me and said I have a right to respond. There is no beef with Robert. He is the one who said the department 'is acting like Tarzan.' I have always defended him. When I was Youth League President; as the Minister of Sport; I have always defended him and all other young people. I did this because young people have a right to make mistakes. I didn't say anything about him getting fired. I defended a lot of people. He is the one that blocked me, I didn't block him. Why did he block me? I have always said that anytime Robert wants me on Metro FM he can just ask, I will be there."
On Tuesday, Fikile tweeted the following:
The Juice tried to get a hold of Robert Marawa for comment, but he was unavailable.
