OMEN
10-30-2007, 08:47 AM
Reality television show Big Brother Africa has turned ugly, with viewers claiming Tanzania's Richard Bezuidenhout stripped two of the three female contestants before sexually assaulting one of them.
The alleged incidents occurred on Saturday afternoon after the remaining four housemates went on a drinking binge.
Viewers allege that after stripping them, Bezuidenhout went on to sexually assault Nigeria's Offuneka Malokwu, who had already passed out, before almost having sex with Angola's "Tatiana".
According to the show's website, Tatiana woke up from her drunken stupor unable to remember anything that happened after she started drinking.
The fourth housemate, Uganda's Maureen Namatovu, who was evicted on Sunday night, had to remind her of what happened.
M-Net, which broadcasts Big Brother Africa, has said the contestants were "adults over the age of consent who began physical relations".
It claimed none of the housemates had complained.
But angry viewers believe Bezuidenhout took advantage of Malokwu and that M-Net should have acted to halt the alleged assault.
M-Net did send in paramedics after both Malokwu and Tatiana became physically ill as a result of the booze binge and ordered Bezuidenhout into the diary room to sober up.
A horrified Big Brother Africa fan said the incident occurred around 2pm or 2.30pm on Saturday.
The four contestants had been mixing drinks and "throwing back tot after tot", said the viewer, who preferred not to be named.
"Within about 40 minutes they were motherless," she said.
The man began "shouting and screaming that he was going to f**k all the girls" .
He then dragged one onto a couch and tried to pull her jeans down, she said.
Bezuidenhout and Malokwu ended up in a bedroom, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Tatiana woke up at this point and began "coming on to" Bezuidenhout, said the viewer.
Asked why M-Net had edited its discussion forums to remove comments that accused Bezuidenhout of sexual assault, spokesperson Joseph Hundah said: "This is a serious allegation and there is no proof of this."
Tonight.ZA
The alleged incidents occurred on Saturday afternoon after the remaining four housemates went on a drinking binge.
Viewers allege that after stripping them, Bezuidenhout went on to sexually assault Nigeria's Offuneka Malokwu, who had already passed out, before almost having sex with Angola's "Tatiana".
According to the show's website, Tatiana woke up from her drunken stupor unable to remember anything that happened after she started drinking.
The fourth housemate, Uganda's Maureen Namatovu, who was evicted on Sunday night, had to remind her of what happened.
M-Net, which broadcasts Big Brother Africa, has said the contestants were "adults over the age of consent who began physical relations".
It claimed none of the housemates had complained.
But angry viewers believe Bezuidenhout took advantage of Malokwu and that M-Net should have acted to halt the alleged assault.
M-Net did send in paramedics after both Malokwu and Tatiana became physically ill as a result of the booze binge and ordered Bezuidenhout into the diary room to sober up.
A horrified Big Brother Africa fan said the incident occurred around 2pm or 2.30pm on Saturday.
The four contestants had been mixing drinks and "throwing back tot after tot", said the viewer, who preferred not to be named.
"Within about 40 minutes they were motherless," she said.
The man began "shouting and screaming that he was going to f**k all the girls" .
He then dragged one onto a couch and tried to pull her jeans down, she said.
Bezuidenhout and Malokwu ended up in a bedroom, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Tatiana woke up at this point and began "coming on to" Bezuidenhout, said the viewer.
Asked why M-Net had edited its discussion forums to remove comments that accused Bezuidenhout of sexual assault, spokesperson Joseph Hundah said: "This is a serious allegation and there is no proof of this."
Tonight.ZA