AFTER enduring a week of calls for her head, controversial columnist Kuli Roberts yesterday received a reprieve as the Mzansi Magic channel resisted calls to can her show.

Whether she was forced or not is unclear, but Roberts will apologise on her show for comments made in her Bitch's Brew column in the Sunday World titled Jou ma se kinders.

In it Roberts said, among several personal and satirical observations, that coloured people like to fight in public; had no front teeth; that coloured women breed as if on a mission; were "nuts" because they drank Black Label beer and smoke like chimneys.

The DStv channel announced in a statement yesterday that Roberts' show, Headline, would go ahead tonight and that the mother of two would apologise to many who were left incensed by her comments.

Mzansi Magic's statement read: "Following the outrage caused by Kuli Roberts' column in a Sunday newspaper this past week, questions have been raised about the future of her television show.

"Headline will continue on Mzansi Magic in its prime time slot on Thursdays at 8.30pm and Mzansi Magic will not terminate Kuli's contract as presenter of the show."

Channel head Lebone Maema said they had decided to give Roberts the benefit of the doubt, "accepting her explanation that it was not her intention to be offensive or malicious and would grant her the opportunity to make a public apology on Headline tonight."