Anele claps back at boycott threat over Andre Esterhuizen comments

Anele Mdoda has clapped back at calls for South Africans to boycott her 947 radio show after she called for Springbok Andre Esterhuizen to be banned from playing rugby over an allegation that he said the K-word as a teenager. 

The media personality has faced a strong backlash from Bok fans who have dug up allegations from her own past.

ANELE MDODA CLAPS BACK AT BOYCOTT CALL

Over the past few days, Anele Mdoda’s name has been trending on social media after she publicly condemned Andre Esterhuizen’s alleged K-word racial slur. 

The media personality had responded to a media clipping from 2012, when the Springbok was just 18 years old. Anele tweeted: “He should be banned from playing rugby period!”

Her views were met with backlash, with rugby fans calling for a boycott of Anele’s 947 breakfast show.

The 42-year-old clapped back at one critic on her X account, posting: “You need to be very careful with the media storm you are calling towards Andre here. 

She added: “It won’t end well cause he did use that word”

You need to be very careful with the media storm you are calling towards Andre here. It won’t end well cause he did use that word.

— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) September 26, 2026

Anele is not the only celebrity to call out Andre Esterhuizen.

Music producer Prince Kaybee and podcaster Penuel Mlotshwa have both criticised the player and SA Rugby for their decision not to address the racial incident.

If SARU & Springbok Management refuse to address this André Esterhuizen matter from his past…

…how could we trust them to ever address any current racism in SA rugby as a whole?!

Their silence is upsetting, triggering & loudly telling us how they deal with such matters.

— Penuel The Black Pen (@penuelist_) September 29, 2026

ANDRE ESTERHUIZEN: DID HE OR DIDNT HE SAY THE K-WORD?

In 2012, Adriaan Andre Esterhuizen, a Matric learner at Klerksdorp High School, was accused of calling Thabo Molete, the coach of the Potchefstroom Gymnasium, a “f**king k*****” during a rugby match spat.

The then 18-year-old was found guilty of misconduct and was handed a year’s ban, which later became a six-month suspension, provided he underwent a life skills course.

As a result, he missed participation in Craven Week.

Five years later, Andre – now playing for the Sharks – spoke out about the incident.

The player – nicknamed “The Hybrid” – stated that the incident occurred when a fight broke out on the pitch during a match between his school and Potchefstroom Gymnasium.

He claims players and spectators began hurling insults at each other. Andre was accused of using the K-word, with the coach of the rival team threatening to “sue” him.

He said, “I wondered how they could prove it was me. I didn’t shout it. Quite a few of the spectators and other players did. Even the referees supported me.”