Image: Instagram
South African television personality Shamiso Mosaka was ejected from a flight from Durban to Johannesburg due to her "unruly" behavior, according to officials.
Local airline CemAir stated on Monday that the flight faced a 90-minute delay because the influencer refused to comply with "safety regulations."
The airline further explained that the pilot had to halt the flight with the engines already running.
While Ms. Mosaka did not respond to the BBC's request for comment, she did document the incident on Instagram Live.
With over 140,000 followers on Instagram, Ms. Mosaka is also a presenter on the MTV Base South Africa music channel.
The footage of the incident spread widely on social media, with many expressing support for Ms. Mosaka.
In the video, police officers ask the influencer to leave the flight, but she refuses until they promise to arrange another flight for her, a request the airline crew denies.
She attempts to defend herself and seeks support from fellow passengers to affirm that she was not causing trouble.
Ms. Mosaka then suggests that the incident might be racially motivated, alleging that the cabin crew failed to adequately explain her wrongdoing.
CemAir's Chief Financial Officer, Laura van der Molen, clarified to local newspaper The Citizen that there was no "racial profiling" involved.
She stated that Ms. Mosaka had "refused to adhere to the airline's regulations and unfortunately had to be forcibly removed."
The incident took place on Sunday at King Shaka Zulu International Airport.
CemAir has reported the incident to the South African police, who will handle the matter.
The airline expressed its commitment to support the police in their investigation and potential prosecution of the case.
