‘I always joke about disabled people’: Comedian on his viral parking bay skit

Comedian Mduduzi Ntuli’s latest skit may have elicited some laughs on social media, but the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa is not amused.

In a video that went viral on social media, which Ntuli has since clarified was supposed to be a comedy skit, the comedian who hails from Mpumalanga is seen parking in a disabled persons’ bay at a shopping centre.

As he parks, a security guard (Ntuli’s friend) approaches the car and tells him that he is not supposed to park there.

Ntuli climbs out of the car and, for a moment, pretends to be a person with a disability.

The “security guard” apologises.

However, as Ntuli crosses the road, he starts walking normally saying “lona la tena (you guys are annoying)”.

The skit has been doing the rounds on social media, with people laughing and sharing it.

But the council says the video is disappointing and it takes back the few strides the country has made to deal with the negative stigmas, stereotypes and existing marginalisation of disabled people.

“When it comes to comedy it is often a grey area to know when to draw the line in making fun of different types of people and there are persons with disabilities who have come to accept it, but yearn to not be excluded by society, even in comedy,” spokesperson for the council, Nokuthula Manana, said.

Ntuli says he didn’t mean to offend anyone with the video.

“I am sorry if the video offended anyone. It was never meant to offend anyone. The bays are always free but when you try to park there it is always a problem and that’s what the skit was based on,” Ntuli said.

The comedian says that he always makes jokes about disabled people.

“What I love about South Africa is that we are always able to laugh at ourselves. I always make jokes about disabled people and they continue coming to my shows and laugh at my jokes,” he told City Press.

Manana says what disappointed her even more was that after some people pointed out that the video may be offensive, Ntuli didn’t apologise or talk about the fact that it might have been offensive to disabled people.

“He may have been ignorant, which we can accept, however when shown his possible mistake, as a public figure, it was an opportunity to redeem himself and his actions, and even educate and reprimand those who are spreading the video and liking it on social media,” Manana said.

She added that South Africa was known as the rainbow nation for a reason.

“Diversity is one of the issues that we pride ourselves on. What made this more disappointing was that we’ve just commemorated heritage month where we celebrated and embraced our differences,” she said.

“We would like to remind South Africa that disabled people also make up part of that diversity. From a human point of view and enshrined in our Constitution is the fact that we all have the right to dignity,” Manana said.

Sthembiso Lebuso Journalist | City Press

+27 11 713 9001 Sthembiso.Lebuso@citypress.co.za Media Park, 69 Kingsway Road, Auckland Park

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