BBC Africa is reporting that a South African woman has denied allegations that she was given as a “bride gift” to a SABC executive in order to facilitate more programming in her tribal language. Vanessa Mutswari, 23, said the allegation was ruining her plans to marry another man.
The author writes:
“Earlier this month, ‘The Sowetan’ paper reported that chiefs from the Venda ethnic group gave Ms. Mutswari as a bride to the SABC’s Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
The chiefs were part of a group asking for more programs to be broadcast in the minority Venda language.
South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality launched an investigation last week into the reports that the SABC’s acting chief operations officer had received a bride as a gift.”
A spokesperson for the Venda cultural group, Gladys Nethengwe, said the SABC and not Mr. Motsoeneng personally, had only been given a cow and a calf as a gift.
The Sowetan stands by its story of the alleged exchange.
Read more on BBC Africa.
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