By Rorisang Modiba
- Cyan Boujee revealed she had doubts about the Russian programme in July and cut her trip short.
- MacG confronted a recruitment agent on air saying he was disappointed and had been scammed before.
Cyan Boujee has finally spoken out about the Alabuga Start programme scandal that has hit South Africa’s influencer community.
The controversial influencer, whose real name is Honour Zuma, broke her silence this week after weeks of speculation.
In a series of videos, Cyan revealed she had serious doubts about the Russian programme as far back as July.
“I told them if they were going to work with other influencers, they had to be legit,” she explained, TimesLIVE reported.
She said participants sometimes went hours without food during the programme. The accommodation was so poor it left one young woman in tears.
Feeling uneasy about the whole situation, Cyan eventually cut her trip short and returned home early.
But her early exit has done little to protect her from criticism. The influencer, who has millions of followers across different platforms, has seen her accounts suspended.
“I had my doubts,” she said. “I just hope people understand I never wanted to mislead anyone.”
Cyan is not the only one facing consequences. Other influencers linked to the Alabuga campaign have also been hit hard.
Podcasters Munaka, Zille and Seemah have all faced similar account suspensions. They have also lost thousands of followers as online users distance themselves from the project.
The scandal got even more heated on Monday during a tense Podcast and Chill with MacG episode.
Siyabonga Mhlungu, one of the recruitment agents behind the programme, appeared on the show. He denied any wrongdoing and stressed that both the Russian embassy and the South African government had dismissed claims of human trafficking.
But MacG confronted him directly on air during the interview.
“I’m really disappointed in how you’ve handled yourself today. I’ve been scammed by you before, and I was expecting you to take accountability. Instead, you’re deflecting and throwing the influencers under the bus. This is their livelihood,” MacG said.
The clip went viral immediately, with many people praising MacG for speaking up and holding Mhlungu accountable.
Pictured above: Cyan Boujee.
Image source: @cyan.boujee24
