Cape Town - Radio DJ Sasha Martinengo has been dismissed from Hot 91.9FM with immediate effect, following comments made during an on-air broadcast on the Breakfast Show on Tuesday.
Martinengo joined Johannesburg's Hot 91.9FM as the station's breakfast host in September, 2017.
During the course of the broadcast, a reference was made by the anchor presenter who said: [A]nd people still listen to this monkey," referring to EFF leader, Julius Malema.
According to a press statement issued by Lloyd Madurai, managing director of Hot 91.9FM, the comments made by Martinengo "violated the station's code of conduct and its commitment to our national democratic values" and is viewed in "an extremely serious light."
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Despite the presenter's immediate and repeated apology, the station has elected to remove him from all involvement with the radio station with immediate effect.
Furthermore, the station issued a public apology to Malema saying it deeply regrets any "adverse inference that the conduct of the presenter has had".
"The station will not tolerate at any stage such conduct. The station is fully committed to all members of our community equally irrespective of their political, ideological, religious or social viewpoints and stands for tolerance, equality and the constitutional rights of all," says Madurai.
Sasha responded on Twitter, saying: "I’m sorry if I offended anyone, but I stand by what I said. Anyone, irrespective of their race, colour, creed, religion, gender who disrespects a woman is a monkey."
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