Calls mount to cancel Open Chats Podcast over offensive remarks

Calls are growing for the Open Chats podcast to be cancelled, following outrage over controversial and degrading remarks about the coloured community.

In a recent episode, the four hosts described coloured people as “crazy” and made inflammatory claims suggesting incest is common within the community.

The episode went viral—sparking widespread condemnation from the public, activists, media personalities, and community leaders, who say the comments reinforce dangerous racial stereotypes.

The backlash has reignited broader conversations around racism and discrimination in South Africa’s media and digital spaces.

While the podcast has issued a public apology, many—including civil rights organisations—say it falls short, and are demanding greater accountability.

Leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Gayton McKenzie, says people should not feel entitled to make such derogatory remarks without consequences.

He says the coloured community has long raised concerns about being misrepresented and marginalised in public discourse and this incident only deepens that frustration.

The PA has since laid criminal charges against the podcast hosts and is threatening to escalate the matter to the Equality Court and the South African Human Rights Commission.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also reported the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission.

The party says hate speech, harmful racial stereotyping, and the public degradation of any group in society cannot be tolerated.

“It is an assault on the dignity of a community and an attempt to reduce the lived realities of South Africans into cheap, demeaning stereotypes for the sake of online clicks.”

“We call on all South Africans to reject this type of content and to stand together against any attempt to normalise or monetise racial denigration.”

The DA is taking action against a Podcast with despicable stereotyping of coloured people, that disgracefully says coloured people have sex with their siblings, and describing coloured people as “crazy.”

We’ve reported this to the Human Rights Commission: https://t.co/zfOwfpHAqb pic.twitter.com/y2vsmO5fA2

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) August 6, 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the podcast hosts to undergo mandatory training on racial sensitivity and anti-discrimination.

The party says it will not tolerate hate speech disguised as entertainment, and has vowed to push for accountability for anyone who spreads harmful or prejudiced rhetoric in South Africa’s media space.

The EFF’s Statement Condemning Despicable Stereotyping of Coloured People on “Open Chats” Podcast

-The EFF has become increasingly concerned about the proliferation of bigotry, racism, and harmful stereotypes on podcast platforms, many of which operate with little to no… pic.twitter.com/CwiN6pluNA

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) August 7, 2025

I am a coloured woman
I am not crazy
I am not incestuous
I know who I am
Respect US!! pic.twitter.com/0hjHHvqxwt

— Dereleen James MP (@DereleenJ) August 6, 2025

Coloured pic.twitter.com/3NveEuYvv1

— IG:Joy-Zelda (@joy_zelda) August 6, 2025

Coloured people have the right to be mad at was said in that Open Chats podcast.

Any other group would have the same reaction if something like that was said about them.

Don’t try and take it away from them 🤞🏾

— Hlovo (@hlovo_) August 7, 2025

I’M DEEPLY HURT AND I NEED TO SAY THIS

What was said on the Open Chats Podcast about the Coloured community was not just a joke, not just “content.” It was hate speech. Calling an entire group of people “incestuous” and “crazy” is not funny. It’s racist. It’s disgusting. And… pic.twitter.com/35GVZ4oM9N

— Thulani Ndaba (@tndaba) August 7, 2025

This isn’t an opportunity for coloured people to be anti- black.
Those 4, dumb, dumber, dumbest & poes dom, are the problem.
Not all black people.
Those 4 spoke kak.
We deal with them.
That’s as far as it should go.

— Farah C. Fortune (@fcfortune) August 7, 2025

Black people frequently get away with behavior that many would deem unacceptable, including racism and hate speech. The notion that “black people can’t be racists” is simply false. The #coloured community must confront this issue and take action. pic.twitter.com/LEgVq6nTMa

— Sir Mo (@moreki_mo) August 6, 2025

Exactly. Coloureds are anti-black. So I honestly don’t care what those stupid kids said. Black people must stay out of this, it’s not our fight, we have bigger problems. We’re still landless in our country, we have no business fighting for people who wouldn’t do the same for us🙏 https://t.co/S6081DIDox pic.twitter.com/9CtTuTtKbK

— Ndoniyamantungwa Mabaso (@NdoniMabaso) August 7, 2025

The kids were very wrong to say that about the coloured community, but the politicians hijacking it is diluting the matter.

— NtsikiMazwaiMedia (@ntsikimazwai) August 7, 2025

Politicians will never win the war on Podcasters, especially when they only target black podcasters… As black men, we will defend our younger brothers. There’s nothing wrong with generalisations, why are the DA & PA fighting for coloured voters by calling blacks racists? Sies!🤬… pic.twitter.com/hlGzPanS1B

— Lepantsula/Lekompo (@thekelo_Teekay) August 6, 2025