Mr JazziQ Has Responded to Sexual Harassment Allegations Against and Pleads Innocence
On Thursday, the 23rd of May 2024, YFM’s HomeRun show producer Ngcebo Mcobothi took to X with a cryptic post of her expressing that she’d suffered sexual harassment from an unnamed man who’s sexual advances she’d turned down. The man, subsequently identified by Ngcebo as popular amapiano producer Tumelo “Mr JazziQ” Manyoni, has broken his silence regarding the matter.
JazziQ, on the day of alleged harassment, was a guest on YFM, alongside Robot Boii. He was slated for an interview in promotion of his latest single “MaGents”. The allegations have it that Manyoni tried to kiss Mcobothi by force while they were in the lift within the radio station’s premises.
In the media statement issued by Black is Brown Entertainment stated that upon hearing about accusation, they reached out to the radio station’s manager in order to obtain proof in the shape of CCTV footage, to which the radio station responded by letting them know that the lifts were not fitted with surveillance cameras.
“Upon seeing the news of the alleged assault on the said social media platform [X], Mr JazziQ and his team promptly contact YFM’s station manager Haseena Cassim, requesting CCTV footage of the alleged incident. The basis for this request was for Mr JazziQ to offer a detailed response to the damaging allegations by providing irrefutable evidence that they have no basis in truth or fact. […] Four days after the footage was initially requested, YFM responded stating that the said lift has no cameras.” said the statement.
The statement also stated that footage taken by JazziQ’s videographer does provide some insight leading up to the alleged event. Whilst the video, now published on Mr. JazziQ’s Instagram account, fails to show what happens inside the lift, the statement said the video is “evidence [that] provides adequate circumstantial evidence to help us arrive at a reasonable conclusion.”
“Three points are important to note. Firstly, at no point was Mr JazziQ alone with Ms Mcobothi in the lift – they were in the presence of at least 5 other people at all times. The second is that Mr JazziQ and Ms Mcobothi were never in close proximity as she entered the lift before him. Him being the last to enter means that he was also closest to the elevators doors – with no less than 5 other people between them. Finally, the lift was travelling just one floor up – a distance that took a few seconds at best. For Ms. Mcobothi’s allegations to be true, Mr JazziQ would have needed to enter the lift, wade through 5 other people, position himself next to her, attempt an assault on her in full view of the other people in the lift, and then [get] out of the lift in barely 10 seconds that it took to get just one floor up. This [is] both improbably and illogical – especially as it would require that all persons in the lift, including women, would be complicit in what can only be described as atrocious actions.” the statement said.
While Mr JazziQ claims his innocence, he’s also adamant on protecting Mcobothi’s public image, calling on people to not “abuse, mock, deride or humiliate” Mcobothi as this would go against the spirit of protecting women amid the scourge of Gender-Based Violence in the country. JazziQ, according to the statement, will be going the legal route in order to clear his name and remove all suspicion from his brand.
This is a developing story.