PA lays criminal charges against popular South African podcast

The Patriotic Alliance (PA) is taking legal action against Open Chats Podcast hosts Mthokozisi Methula and Sinothanda Kama for remarks made about the Coloured community.

The podcast currently has over 400,000 subscribers on YouTube.

In an episode that aired on 21 July 2025, Methula and Kama referred to the Coloured community as “mentally crazy” and that “Coloured siblings chow (have sex with) each other.”

PA leader Gayton McKenzie took to social media on Wednesday morning, saying the party would use all of its legal resources to determine what action can be taken against the podcast hosts.

In a letter of demand posted to X (formerly Twitter), the party’s legal team states that the hosts’ comments “constitute hate speech” and “unlawfully impair the dignity of a protected group.”

Therefore, the PA would be laying criminal charges against the two hosts.

Later on Wednesday evening, PA member Liam Jacobs filmed himself laying the charges at the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria on McKenzie’s instruction.

McKenzie has also threatened to take the matter to the SABC and DStv, as it “appeared on their platform.”

He says this is because the show was not livestreamed and, therefore, lacked some form of content control before being posted.

“We will notify SABC 2 that they must cancel the podcast; if they don’t, we will go to them, because what [frustrates me most] is that the show was not live,” McKenzie said in a video posted to X.

“Whoever is in charge of content control didn’t see anything wrong, which means that the channel agrees with all those things that are being said about Coloured people.”

However, McKenzie has since withdrawn his statement directed at the SABC and apologised to the public broadcaster as it “has nothing to do with the podcast.”

“[The SABC] don’t work with [the Open Chats Podcast], they are not on SABC platforms, so let me apologise to SABC for mistakenly thinking they are part of it,” McKenzie said in a video on social media.

On the other hand, he says that MultiChoice, which has aired the podcast on its platforms will not be renewing its contract with the content creators.

Following the intial commotion on social media, with many calling for the podcast to be cancelled, the hosts issued a statement apologising for the comments made, saying that the clip had been removed from the episode.

“We acknowledge the hurt caused by the clip that continues to circulate online and would like to communicate our genuine regret for that,” the statement reads.

“The intention was never to cause harm or disrespect the Coloured community. We want to clarify that Open Chats Podcast does not promote or support racism or discrimination.”

The statement adds that because of the nature of the conversation on the show, it is essential for the hosts to conduct themselves respectfully.

The Democratic Alliance said it has reported the incident to the South African Human Rights Council, with its federal chairperson Ivan Meyer calling the content vile and degrading of human dignity.

“This vile content degrades the dignity of coloured people for cheap social media online clicks. Free speech ends where it violates the rights of others,” Meyer said.

“The DA will always stand up against hate speech and defend the constitutional values of dignity, respect and non-racialism.”

Article has been edited to add McKenzie’s apology to the SABC and his statement about discussions with MultiChoice.