By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Shahan Ramkissoon, an anchor at eNCA, has publicly apologized after mistakenly announcing the death of Winnie Khumalo while confusing her with singer Kelly Khumalo.
The error created alarm among viewers and prompted Kelly to voice her outrage on Instagram.
In a post, she criticized both Ramkissoon and eNCA, stating, “encanews you may hate me or even think very less of me, however this is very reckless, ignorant and disrespectful not only to me but to those who love and care about me, especially my kids. PUT SOME RESPECT ON MY NAME.”
The announcement, which spread quickly on social media, caused considerable alarm among Kelly’s fans and supporters.
Many shared their dismay at the error, highlighting the potential emotional impact on those close to the singer.
In response to the backlash, Ramkissoon took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to clarify the situation.
“I made an honest mistake, which I corrected shortly afterwards on air. It was a slip of the tongue as I ad-libbed the story. I take full responsibility for the error. To those seeking to amplify this for attention: do what you must, trend and stay blessed,” he wrote.
The incident highlights the responsibility news anchors bear when reporting sensitive information.