Makeleni goes berserk
REVERED SABC journalist Themba Makeleni, who is also a karateka, turned the corporation's newsroom into a karate ring when he kicked his female colleague Kenosi Khwaene almost to a pulp last week.
KARATE KRAZY: Suspended SABC producer Themba Makeleni has been accused of assaulting a colleague. Picture by Tshepo KekanaKicks, tramples female colleague
Makeleni, who is currently a producer of the Ilungelo Lakho show on SABC1, was suspended with immediate effect and will be hauled over the coals soon.
An SABC official who witnessed the rumpus but did not want to be named for fear of reprisal says Makeleni was pottering around in the newsroom singing when Khwaene, who produces the SABC2 programme Leihlo La Sechaba, teased him, saying he should stick to journalism as singing was not his forté.
Khwaene, who was working at her desk, repeated her statement when Makeleni continued to sing.
Makeleni went berserk and, like a kung-fu master, lifted Khwaene from the chair and dropped her on the floor.
It is alleged that he started kicking and trampling on her like an elephant. Khwaene was rescued by a colleague who heard her screaming for help.
The official says: "He kept on saying 'you are taking me for granted! You are taking me for granted!' as he kicked and stomped on her. You must remember that this man is a trained karateka but practising his techniques on a woman is totally uncalled for."
Makeleni was suspended with immediate effect and is due to appear before a disciplinary hearing soon.
"If I were him I'd have resigned with immediate effect. There is no way in hell he's going to get away with a warning on this one.
"He is a threat to his colleagues and everyone who works around him. He must go," says the official.
Khwaene disputes having teased Makeleni.
"What happened was that the day before the assault, I told him to stop singing as he was giving me a headache and I couldn't concentrate on my job. He just kept quiet.
"The following day I exclaimed when he started singing and he attacked me.
"I didn't sustain serious injuries and for personal reasons I'm not going to press any criminal charges against him," she says.
Khwaene says she is still surprised that he attacked her.
"It is so unlike him. I think he was stressed or emotionally not in a good space," she says.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirms Makeleni's suspension.
"They suspended him with immediate effect after the incident and a disciplinary hearing is under way," Kganyago says.
Makeleni could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press.
malatjin@sundayworld.co.za
Comments
Bonkerz
There is more to this story, there is no way this woman would be so calm about this honestly, there is no emotion at all it's as if she is OKAY with what happened. I smell a big Alexandra rat here....Plain_Truth
What compounds the confusion more is that the man resembles the very kind comedian STEVE HARVEY so much. But then again, 'r e s e m b l e s' is the word. Ain't no way he is L I K E Steve Harvey now!Steve Harvey would have TEASED the lady "thy kingdom come" and CRUSHED her with Tsunami of humour until she had stomach cramps and apologized. She wouldn't have "gotten off this easily". Know what, I think she realizes that too. That is why she has this "puzzling" response to the whole thang! She reckons "oh man that was clooooose. Thank you for not being Steeeeve. I forgive you".
somaartakeit
@naughtynaughtyYINDODOMXHOSA NANGOKU ,UTHANDA UNGATHANDI - UMBETHE KANCINCI NANGOKU.
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does this suggest that Xhosa men are violent beasts and encouraged by females such as yourself? or is it a Xhosa culture to be violent against women? come on teach us now that you have made this vile act of savagery a Xhosa thing, you probably from the ancwl and you carried jaboc on your shoulders when he he was trialed for violating Khwezi? its women like you who brought up their sons as savages hence SA is the most violent country (against the weak) in the world.
somaartakeit
The only solution here is to fire this guy immediately, no amount of stress/emotionally not being in a right place should result in anyone behaving like a deranged barbarian in the workplace, fire it sabcDumisaniMbebe
Now, I believe it: most ppl lack that quality that all should have: COMMON SENSE! Why and how this incident has been attributed to tribalism or the question of real manhood baffles me. Good ppl, let's NOT expose our IQ scores but rather read and follow the story as it unfolds. We are NOT journos but readers. Let's stick to reading.SebolaNtimetseAdikateMoketla
The woman was paid by Makeleni's internal enemies to tease him and he fell for the trap.Men out there
Watch out
somaartakeit
@Sebola.... you are a classic example of an irresponsible person who does not understand that with actions comes consequences, you now want to pretend that its someone else's fault that Makeleni is a savage when its his own fault, Karate teaches ppl to be disciplined and to use such high level fighting skill on a woman who is defenseless over being teased shows that Makeleni is a proper example of an African barbarian how this barbarian got to become a manager is a mystery to me, cause I'd have thought there are certain qualities a manager espouse? but obviously not at SABC everything goes, hence this scandal now they are faced with.Read all 9 comments