Barnes made the initial remark while the broadcaster aired bits from Motshekga's speech delivering the results for the 2015 matric year on Tuesday.
After cutting back to Barnes at the end of the snippet, he said: "Maybe someone should have a word with the Basic Education minister about how to pronounce the word 'epitome'."
South Africans on Twitter have not taken kindly to the remark, after Sport and Recreation spokesperson Esethu Hasane posted a video clip on the platform questioning Barnes's comment on Wednesday morning.
Some have since stated that the remark was unnecessary and unprofessional. Others highlighted that Barnes himself struggled to pronounce Motshekga's surname in the same sentence.
An apology by Barnes has received mixed reaction, with some opting to forgive him, while others flat out rejected it.
Source: News24 via News24Wire
