Shamiso Mosaka, a prominent South African TV personality, was involved in a controversial incident aboard a CemAir flight from Durban to Johannesburg.
The situation unfolded when Shamiso was reportedly speaking on the phone with a friend and used profane words, leading to a dispute with a CemAir flight attendant.
Despite no complaints from other passengers about her behavior, she was asked to leave the plane and was subsequently escorted off by the South African Police Service.
CemAir denied any racial profiling and accused Shamiso of being ‘unruly and abusive,’ emphasizing that the incident had been exaggerated on social media.
The incident gained significant attention after a live video of Shamiso being removed from the plane went viral, sparking debate and outrage online.
Contents of the viral video
In the video, Shamiso can be seen being escorted off the aircraft by a police officer, further fueling the controversy.
Shamiso Mosaka claimed she was subjected to mistreatment by the flight attendants and accused them of racism.
Further in the video, she is seen returning to her seat inside the aircraft and adamantly refusing to comply with requests to vacate her seat.
“I’m not getting off the flight unless I’m booked another one, I paid for this flight, I’m not getting off until you guys ask me for my ID number and book me a new flight.”
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“I’m not leaving. No, actually I do not trust you guys, I’m going to sit down,” she said.
In the background, some passengers can be heard prompting her to sit down.
Shamiso expressed confusion over the situation, stating that she did not understand why she was asked to leave for swearing during a private phone call.
CemAir’s chief financial officer addressed the matter in an interview with a local newspaper “The Citizen”, stating that what was being portrayed on social media did not accurately reflect the events that transpired.
Statement by South African Airline CemAir
In a statement released by the Airline on their official Instagram account the airline spoke on the matter saying, “A late boarded passenger became unruly and abusive, refusing to follow the lawful instructions of the cabin crew member.”
“When the cabin crew member determined that she was unable to reason with the passenger she informed the captain.”
“The captain shut down the already running engines and attempted to persuade the passenger to comply with the safety regulations on board the aircraft.”
“When the Captain could not reason with the passenger either, the matter was handed over to the South African Police Service and the passenger was removed from the aircraft,” read the statement.
The incident has stirred up discussions about the handling of the situation by both Shamiso and CemAir, with differing perspectives emerging online.
Public reaction to the viral video
This incident has not only put Shamiso Mosaka in the spotlight but has also raised questions about airline policies and passenger behavior.
The controversy surrounding her removal from the flight has solicited reaction from South Africans with many condemning the airline for their actions and lack of professionalism.
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An X user named DaButchstar, expressed his stance on the matter saying “Hi, I am the guy who was sitting in front of you, please if you ever need witnesses, I am available. We fought even after they tricked you out of the flight. We were also threatened to be thrown out cause of sticking out for you.”
“No way! there must be a second motive!” remarked NMwanjasi.
Another user named Ori_RSA suggested that the reason why Shamiso went through the ordeal was because she had tattoos.
“They are doing all this because of the tattoos, yena she’s so calm shame.”