The recent uproar over derogatory remarks made by the controversial host of the popular MacG and Chill podcast MacGyver Mukwevho about South African media personality Minnie Dlamini highlights a deeper societal challenge: how we navigate the complexities of the digital age as a culture in transition.
The incident underscores the evolving tensions between free expression, accountability and the pervasive influence of digital media in shaping public discourse.
Digital platforms like MacG and Chill podcast have an important role to play as transformative tools by, among others, democratising communication.
Currently anyone with internet access can share ideas globally, bypassing traditional gatekeepers such as media conglomerates and publishers. On the other hand such podcasts do add to the diversification of voices whereby marginalised groups such as LGBTQI can challenge dominant narratives.
The podcasts can also be used to promote education and advocacy by hosting content that empowers audiences. They can also contribute to community building by hosting content whereby niche communities (eg disability advocacy or cultural preservation groups) form around shared interests, fostering solidarity and belonging.
To effectively execute the above-mentioned responsibilities podcasts such as MacG and Chill need freedom of expression so as they can drive important discourses in relation to, for example, challenging taboos in societies where they operate; representing youth and counter-culture; as well as holding power to account.
It is a known fact that MacG and Chill’s “edgy” style resonates with young Africans who feel excluded from traditional media. That “edginess” includes using satire, criticism and unfiltered opinions to help expose corruption, hypocrisy and social injustices – hence without free expression, podcasts lose their bite as watchdogs of society.
The challenge is how to create the balance between freedom of expression and the responsibility of ensuring that such freedom is used for the benefit of all, including the marginalised – such as women in a patriarchal society – and also ensuring that the podcast content does not promote exploitation but rather empowers the disempowered.
This means, for example, the hosts of MacG and Chill must understand while provocative content drives engagement, it can normalise hate speech, misogyny, or misinformation (for example, the body-shaming utterances that Mukwevho made about Dlamini); on the other hand, dark humour – which seems to be Mukwevho’s leitmotif.
The fact that the MacG and Chill podcast holds a dominant position in South Africa’s podcasting landscape due to its edginess underscores both its cultural influence and the ethical responsibilities that accompany such power.
While its provocative style may drive engagement, its leadership in shaping discourse demands a nuanced balance between boldness and accountability.
Such balance would, for example, ameliorate the risk of misuse whereby the edgy content crosses into harmful territory such as body-shaming and misogyny. The case between Mukwevho and Dlamini is an indication that while digital platforms empower unprecedented connection and creativity, their misuse can perpetuate inequality, violence and division.
The case of Mukwevho’s derogatory remarks should not be seen as an isolated incident but a symptom of systemic issues in digital culture.
It is only by re-imagining these spaces as tools for collective upliftment – rooted in ethics, accountability, and justice – that we can ensure they serve humanity’s highest aspirations, rather than its darkest impulses.
As for podcasters like Mukwevho, it is important that they understand the immense power the hold, but that hinges on ethical stewardship. It is also important for them to be cognisant of the fact that true public engagement requires platforms to foster dialogue without sacrificing human dignity.
The podcasters must also learn that free expression thrives not in a vacuum of responsibility but in spaces where respect and truth coexist with boldness and dissent. Most importantly, the line between “provocative” and poisonous must be navigated with intentionality, because words, even a “chill” format can heal or harm.
• Lekota is a veteran journalist
