Sunday, August 18, 2019

As even more Mike Bolhuis racist slurs from the kykNET reality star surface including him using the 'k'-word, MultiChoice says it is still considering 'the reinstatement of the show'.


As a flurry of more racist slurs and derogatory remarks made by Mike Bolhuis in audio recordings - including using the racist "k"-word - surfaced from the disgraced private investigator and kykNET reality star, MultiChoice now says it hasn't taken a decision to permanently cancel his show and will still consider the reinstatement of the show in due course.

The latest Mike Bolhuis recording laced with his racist and derogatory language comes a week after an initial racist conversation was revealed publicly that privately lead MultiChoice to remove his reality show, Bolhuis, for the time being from M-Net's Afrikaans language kykNET channels and its Showmax video streaming service.

After his pre-recorded TV apology on kykNET's eNuus on Thursday evening and a written statement on Friday suddenly warning that more "further conversations might surface that might paint me as someone who discriminates", it happened on Sunday when the Rapport newspaper revealed further shocking recorded conversations in which Mike Bolhuis used the "k"-word and other highly offensive and derogatory language.

An original recording with racist and derogatory language coming to light in late-July caused MultiChoice to axe the kykNET show Bolhuis for now after a voice note came to light in which Mike Bolhuis can be heard saying "a pitchblack houtkop" (wood head) and using the "n"-word.

The second season of the detective reality show Bolhuis, produced by Rian van Heerden also responsible for other kykNET tabloid programming fare like Die Siener, was set to start on 31 July on kykNET (DStv 144).

M-Net's Afrikaans language channels division however abruptly pulled the show from its schedule and also yanked the first season repeats of Bolhuis from sister channel kykNET&kie (DStv 145) shortly before broadcast.

Bolhuis also disappeared from the DStv Now's Catch Up service and the Showmax subscription video-on-demand service run by MultiChoice's Connected Video division with episodes that would have been made available simultaneously on Showmax.

kykNET, when asked why the show was pulled from the schedule initially, said that it could no longer be broadcast "due to contractual issues".

Last Sunday Rapport revealed the shocking audio recording that Mike Bolhuis made himself, and also distributed and sent to other people himself.

MultiChoice said in a statement that "It came to our attention that Mike Bolhuis had conducted certain conversations in which he expressed himself in a discriminatory manner, which is unacceptable to MultiChoice".

"MultiChoice is committed to the building of a non-racial society and strongly condemns any acts of discrimination. In the circumstances, we resolved that programming in the second season of the Bolhuis series, in which Mike Bolhuis is the central figure would not be broadcast."

eNuus at the end of the choreographed Mike Bolhuis public TV apology insert on Thursday reported that "MultiChoice has not yet made a final decision on whether Bolhuis will be broadcast in the future or not".

Now more recordings came to light with Rapport on Sunday reporting that Mike Bolhuis also said "any f-  k- up in Africa" and "f- Arabs" in another conversation which he also voluntarily sent to people in December 2018, and calling a female Pretoria advocate a "vetgat" [fat ass].

On Sunday TVwithThinus asked kykNET boss Karen Meiring again for comment from the TV channel's side but kykNET didn't responded with any public statement by the time of publication of this article.

MultiChoice was also asked for comment on Sunday, and whether MultiChoice is considering broadcasting Bolhuis in future instead of permanently cancelling the kykNET show.

 Joe Heshu, MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs in a response says "On Monday 12 August 2019 Mike Bolhuis apologised to kykNET and the MultiChoice Group".

 "He has also publicly apologised and has committed to creating awareness regarding the lessons he has learnt. We believe Mike has learned from the experience and that he can contribute positively going forward. The reinstatement of the show is however something that will be considered in due course."