Nandi Madida explains why her interview responses do not mean she agrees with Julius Malema

TV personality and entrepreneur Nandi Madida has set the record straight after facing backlash for her interview with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on her podcast, The Motherhood Network.

Following the release of the episode, some social media users accused Madida of endorsing Malema’s controversial political views, particularly those regarding foreign nationals and government policy. Critics pointed to moments in the interview where Madida responded with “mm” as evidence of her agreement.

Madida took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the accusations directly, responding to users @JoshuaEmpowers and @AnneEmm1. She clarified that her role as an interviewer is to listen, not to validate or agree with the guest’s statements.

Hi @JoshuaEmpowers & @anneEmm1, when an interviewer says ‘mm,’ it doesn’t mean they agree. It means they’re listening. At no point have I endorsed Julius Malema or any political figure we’ve interviewed or will interview. The Motherhood Network is non-partisan. It’s clear you haven’t watched the full episode or simply didn’t understand it.

The interview, which covered topics such as immigration, corruption, and the future of South Africa, sparked significant debate online. Supporters of Madida defended her, noting that hosting a guest on a platform does not constitute a personal endorsement of their political ideology.