[imagesource:flickr]

Miss World SA vice president Carolyn Botha is caught up in a weird racist row involving the deputy president of Azapo and an alleged AI-generated voice clip that was circulated.

The clip that allegedly features Botha making racist remarks about shoppers at a mall has raised the cackles of Azapo deputy president, Kekeletso Khena, but Botha denies the recording, saying that it is AI-generated.

In the 17 seconds clip, a woman can be heard saying “I told them to leave. And she wasn’t late, she was on time. She was there at 9am, an hour before she was supposed to be there, in a k****r-infested mall. So, would you want to stand around there for four hours waiting for someone to maybe bring pads and tins?”

According to Khena, the voice belongs to Carolyn Botha. Khena told The Citizen she heard the voice note for the first time on 15 July, after it was shared with her allegedly by someone close to Botha.

Khena did note however that Botha has denied saying those things and claims that the whole recording is fake. Botha was approached for comment by The Citizen but stated the matter is currently sub judice. When prodded further, Botha insisted it was AI-generated.

“I did not state those words and am in the process of having the message authenticated.”

Khena obviously doesn’t buy it and sent Botha a message saying that if she disliked black people so much, she should leave the country. Khena even offered to help her pack. Botha however says she has received numerous death threats, including from Khena, against which she has now opened a case at the Benoni Police Station.

“Both myself and Kekeletso Khena were at the Benoni Saps and neither of us recognised each other, so I fail to understand how she could have a case against me,” Botha wrote in her statement to the press.

Khena claims she has no beef with the Miss World SA vice president, except for her racist rant.

“If you hate black people so much, you should not be profiting off them and is exactly what is happening with the beauty pageants she is involved in.”

She added: “Botha is racist and arrogant and should not be in a position of power. One wonders what the outcome of this competition will be.” Botha on the other hand claims that Khena is just on a witch-hunt.

Beauty pageants can be a nasty business, and if you throw in racism (alleged) and a robot, it’s going to get a lot messier.

Take a listen to the voice clip below, and of course, be aware it features that particular word that should have been discarded into the bin of dumbass history a long time ago. Much like beauty pageants. Real or not?

@MissWorldLtd fire #missworldSA CEO Carolyn Botha for racist remarks in the clip @BBCAfrica @CNNent @ReutersAfrica @AJEnglish @NewYorkTimes_es @SABCNews @Newzroom405 @Radio702 @Powerfm98 @TimesLIVE @lorealparis @SunCityResortSA@WOOLWORTHS_SA @SteveMaddenSA@MercedesBenz_SA pic.twitter.com/3E9ExS2JEg

— Kekeletso Khena (@Soulcandi78) July 24, 2023

[source:citizen]