ANC bans journo over 'pantypreneur' comments

Johannesburg - The ANC has decided to ban journalist Carien du Plessis from attending its 104th anniversary celebration in Rustenburg this weekend following a tweet referring to people attending the event as "pantypreneurs and tenderpreneurs".

"If she applies to come to this event we have taken a decision that she will not attend any of the ANC events. With immediate effect we have withdrawn her accreditation if she did apply," ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

"We will take action against her because we think it is unfortunate for a person who comes from such a profession to make such remarks, but it means within the media there are racists like her who harbour hatred towards black people [and the ANC]."

Du Plessis told News24 that the ANC had not contacted her.

"They haven't spoken to me and I am not aware of that."

Earlier on Thursday, Du Plessis took a photo of the News Cafe in Rustenburg with the caption "Seems Rusty News Cafe will be a choice hangout for pantypreneurs and tenderpreneurs at this weekend's #ANC104 bash."

Seems Rusty News Cafe will be a choice hangout for pantypreneurs and tenderpreneurs at this weekend's #ANC104 bash pic.twitter.com/PFy5upj4Bg — carien du plessis (@carienduplessis) January 7, 2016

The term "pantypreneur" is believed to be a insulting reference to women who uses sex to gain favour with the political elite.

Du Plessis was in Rustenburg covering the ANC's January 8th statement for the Mail & Guardian.

M&G editor Verashni Pillay was not immediately available to comment as her paper was on deadline.

Kodwa accused Du Plessis of being a racist because the majority of people who attended ANC events were black.

"It does not only undermine, but dehumanises women particularly those who attend... ANC events and majority of them are black and therefore her remarks are racist.

"We take offence to such derogatory and racist remarks... She has never said these things about women who attend DA events." Du Plessis referred News24 to her apology on Twitter in response to the ANC's claim that she was a racist.

She apologised after receiving criticism on the social networking site for her comment.

Even Economic Freedom Fighters deputy president Floyd Shivambu responded to Du Plessis tweet, saying: "That's sexism of the worst sexism Carien! You must withdraw that statement."

Shivambu and Du Plessis had a run-in 2012 when the then-ANC Youth League spokesperson called her a "white bitch".

Shivambu apologised to Du Plessis after a settlement was reached in a court case against him.

A member of the ANC's communication's team, Khusela Sangoni, responded to Du Plessis on Twitter with: "Pantypreneurs? Is this how you and your paper @mailandguardian view women who support the ANC?"

Victor Dlamini asked Du Plessis if this was her "Chris Hart moment".

Twitter user @NzingaQ said: "Well done for this tweet. So funny to reduce all the women who'll be there to prostitutes."

"This is offensive. You are reducing our political activism to whoring & nothing about our contribution to the ANC. @carienduplessis," another user @milisauthando wrote in response.

In her apology following the uproar, Du Plessis said she did not realise the term "pantypreneur" was problematic.

"Thank you for the engagement and my unqualified apologies for using it in my tweet," she tweeted.

I realise the term “pantypreneur” is problematic. Thank you for the engagement and my unqualified apologies for using it in my tweet.

— carien du plessis (@carienduplessis) January 7, 2016

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.