Edward vows to protect his dad after Lotus FM presenter calls Zuma a ‘zombie’
Presenter Ravi Govender has apologised for his remarks and says he isn't a racist.
Edward Zuma and wife Phumelele during an ANC beach party at New Beach on May 2, 2014 in Durban. Picture: Gallo Images
President Jacob Zuma’s eldest son, Edward, has threatened to haul popular Lotus FM presenter and columnist Ravi Govender before the Equality Court for calling his father a “zombie”.
In a statement on Monday, Edward said his family failed to understand what had prompted Govender to make the comments on Facebook last Friday after Zuma’s opening address to the ANC’s 5th national policy conference at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.
Govender stated in the post that was later deleted: “Just heard a Zombie Zuma giving a speech on the news. Massacring the beautiful English language. Uneducated creature. Even the other moron Mugabe speaks much better.”
Edward has vowed to continue to protect his father and said he would take up his complaint formally with Lotus FM management and wanted other presenters of the radio station to distance themselves from Govender.
“We are horrified to say the least. Over the past years, as the family, we have endured humiliation that cannot be described as result of many insults from radio presenters, journalists, columnists, cartoonists who at times produces pornographic material aimed at tarnishing the image of my father and the president of the ANC and the Republic of South Africa J.G Zuma,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to a News24 report, Govender apologised for his comments, saying he made the remarks out of anger and wasn’t a racist.
“I posted what I posted on Facebook out of anger. I should have known better. He sounded [while delivering his speech] dead to me; no feelings, no punctuation at all,” Govender said.
“I am not racist, it [English] is not his first language, but speak in Zulu and get an interpreter. I said a zombie because he sounded like a zombie to me. I have apologised and there is nothing I can do. I am wrong, I should not have said it,” he added.
