Staff Reporter | Social media trolls are apparently on the attack, targeting comedian Gonyeti and body shaming her.

Gonyeti (Samantha Kureya), was last week awarded the Human Rights Defender of the Year Award, by The Southern Africa Human Rights Network. Which has apparently attracted a social media backlash.

“After the announcement of the award some ghost accounts have already started trolling Gonyeti and body shaming her, so we are going to be attacked for this award, but we have to be strong and continue doing what we love to do,” Lucky Aaroni told the weekly Standard newspaper.

This is not the first time Bustop TV has been exposed to negative criticism as well as intimidation tactics.

In addition to Gonyeti’s detention with her co-actor Magi earlier this year by the police, suspected state agents

allegedly abducted and tortured the comedienne for one of their comic skits earlier.

According to SAHRDN the courage under such circumstances are one of the reasons why Gonyeti deserves this year’s honours for Southern Africa.

“Despite all these operational challenges and threats, Samantha has continued to use satire to defend the rights of the most marginalised at great personal risk,” read their statement.

Meanwhile, Aaroni said they were honoured to add a prestigious gong to their cabinet in a confirmation of the impact their art has on society.

“Its been five years of doing work and we have won a number of awards before as BustopTV and on her

personal capacity Gonyeti won awards, but this award is special to us because its recognition at another level of artistic content we generate,” he said.