Company fires Kulula passenger caught using K-word

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Johannesburg - A woman who admitted to using the K-word in reference to black passengers and a pilot in an SMS has been fired, SMC Pneumatics South Africa confirmed on Friday. This comes days after the company confirmed Alochna Moodley had been suspended after the company where she works was made aware of the incident. She was also facing disciplinary action. Moodley, 28, was removed from a Kulula.com flight from Joburg to Durban after a fellow passenger, Reverend Solumuzi Mabuza, saw a text she was sending in which she labelled her fellow passengers and captain k*****s. Moodley was seated between Mabuza and another passenger, Sibusiso Magubane.

READ: Airline passenger’s ‘K-word’ text lands her in hot water

“I was in the window seat and turned to her side to rest my head so I could take a nap. I happened to see her text which was in quite large font in which she told the person she was sitting between two k*****s," Mabuza explained.

“She wrote that one of the k*****s kept sniffing, I have chronic sinusitis and (she wrote) the other was reeking of alcohol but [Sibusiso] Magubane said he does not drink. She also referred to the pilot (Captain Menzi) Mvelase.

On Thursday, SMC Pneumatics South Africa managing director Kevin O’Carroll confirmed that Moodley had been fired.

"At SMC we do not tolerate any form of racism. With regards to the recent events, the employee no longer works for SMC South Africa," O'Carroll said.