He even took some of them to task for not voting in last week's election.
With Tlhabi abroad, the CNN star took over hosting duties for an hour. Udo Carelse did the rest of the show.
Quest debated with callers about issues such as the Boko Haram terror attacks, South Africa's economy, homosexuality in Africa and the election results.
He asked why South Africa, with its powerful economy, failed to take the lead.
"When is South Africa going to play the role that it is destined to play on the continent as the regional superpower?"
When a caller said this country was "in no better place than [it was] a week ago", Quest, being Quest, disagreed.
"No, you can't say that. You cannot - 62% of the people voted one way. The decision was clear."
When another caller said Lindiwe Mazibuko's decision to leave her cushy DA job for Harvard University was proof that the party used her to "confuse" young black voters, he wanted to know why Mazibuko wasn't within her rights to snap up the opportunity.
When it got heated, he said: "Careful. You're getting excited. Don't get too excited; it's too early in the morning for that."
He slammed the voters who did not vote.
"You're going to get absolutely no sympathy from me," he told a woman listener who said she did not vote because the government did not do enough for disabled people.
"Shame on you because, as famously was once said, it is easy to vote in elections when it is evil versus good - anybody can vote in those elections. The really difficult elections are the ones when you have to hold your nose and vote through the stomach of vomit. That is the election when you don't like anybody but you have to choose somebody."
On South Africa's economic growth prospects, he said: "It will be pretty much where it has been; absent any new policies, absent any massive new stimulus packages, you're looking at 2.5% to 3.5% over the next few years."
Source: The Times, via I-Net Bridge
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