M-Net didn't respond on Tuesday to a media enquiry with specific questions, but on Tuesday evening in a statement said Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), one of the TV channels supplied to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform where 24/7 Big Brother Mzansi TV channels are also running "is continuing to investigate the recent incident in the Big Brother house".
Although multiple cameras are installed throughout the house - even the shower and toilet - M-Net now claims that "at this stage it is not exactly clear what transpired" between the male and female contestant who were both removed from the house.
The man was expelled for "misconduct" and the woman removed "for her well-being" from the tawdry reality show produced by Endemol South Africa which last year saw a man expelled after physical assaulting a woman - something M-Net then called "an isolated incident" and "not representative of its brand".
"Having suspected that there may have been an incident of sexual misconduct, Mzansi Magic acted by removing both individuals from the house," says M-Net in the terse statement.
It makes no mention of how M-Net is ensuring the safety and protecting the rest of the women remaining in the show where female participants are victimised in nearly every season of Big Brother Africa and Big Brother Mzansi.
"Any incident that affects the health and well-being of the contestants is treated seriously and action will always be taken swiftly and appropriately," says Mzansi Magic.
The latest alleged incident is raising serious questions about whether Endemol SA and M-Net are doing enough to pro-actively protect women in this reality show and why there isn't timeous intervention before incidents occur.
