Cape Town – Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Bantu Holomisa drew headlines after he engaged in a fiery exchange with listeners and presenters on Gagasi FM during a live broadcast, unmistakably telling them to “go to hell”.
The confrontation began when a caller suggested that politicians aged between 60 and 70 should step aside for younger generations.
Holomisa firmly rejected the notion, pointing to Nelson Mandela’s later-in-life presidency as an example:
“That’s nonsense. Nelson Mandela was 72 when he was released in 1990. He became president in his 70s. Age doesn’t matter. You’re mistaken if you think young people are automatically smarter… What we need is a generational mix,” he said.
LISTEN: UDM Leader and Deputy Defence Minister, General Bantu Holomisa, losing his cool while on air.
Holomisa was taking part in a current affairs show hosted by Alex Mthiyane of Gagasi FM, a Durban based commercial radio station.
Holomisa told a listener and Mthiyane to go to… pic.twitter.com/sJmsvGZQsA— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) August 21, 2025
As conversations continued, Holomisa’s patience thinned. He cut off a caller for taking too long, saying: “Baba, please, please be quick.We’re not going to be lectured here.”
When accused of arrogance, Holomisa leaned into the rebuke: “That’s a compliment. If I’m arrogant, you’re arrogant too. Thank you, bye-bye.”
Matters escalated further when a frustrated listener claimed politicians were “useless” and implied Holomisa was one.
Holomisa responded sharply: “You didn’t vote for me. Don’t talk lies.”
In a final parting shot after being asked to retract his words, Holomisa stood his ground: “I’m not going to do that. If you’re not satisfied, you can go to hell too.”
The tense interview abruptly ended following his abrupt exchange with the presenters and callers.
Speaking to The Citizen, UDM spokesperson Yongama Zigebe framed the comments as misunderstood levity: Holomisa’s “firm rebuttals and dark humour” during the interview were mistakenly interpreted as “arrogance… It must be made clear that confidence and conviction in answering questions cannot simply be equated to evasion or disregard.”
Despite the backlash on social media, Zigebe urged context, while the language may have been intemperate, it is important to recognise the human factor… constant provocation in public spaces can elicit reactions that are not reflective of their overall disposition or intent.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
