By Rorisang Modiba
- Media personality Nota Baloyi publicly defended Nonhle Thema, criticising radio host Thando Thabethe’s on air facial expressions during their interview.
- Thema thanked South Africans for standing up for her, after old clips of her celebrity interviews resurfaced in her support.
The public mood around Nonhle Thema has shifted, days after her viral interview with Thando Thabethe first sparked mockery online.
Thema’s sit down on 947’s Your Story with Thando Thabethe saw her reflect on her career, including claims that she introduced Twitter to South Africa and that her family was among the first Black families to settle in Bryanston in 1990. The comments were widely mocked online, and clips of Thando’s facial expressions during the interview went viral in their own right.
That mockery has since drawn its own backlash. Music executive and commentator Nota Baloyi publicly defended Thema, criticising Thando’s on air reactions.
“Before Anele Mdoda was going out there to the Grammys, Nonhle Thema was doing that. You saw Nonhle Thema do that. She was your icon at some point,” Baloyi said.
As the debate continued, old photos and videos from Thema’s show Nonhle Goes to Hollywood resurfaced online, reminding many of her interviews with major international stars, including Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Kelly Rowland and 50 Cent.
Thema responded to the wave of support with a message on social media.
“You guys are so sweet. Thank you, South Africa, for standing up for me. I love you so much. I see you. God bless,” she wrote.
Many supporters said that, regardless of the debate over her specific claims, Thema played a real role in shaping South Africa’s celebrity culture during the height of her career.
Pictured above: [no image provided]
Image source: Nonhle Thema
