Former SAFM Presenter speaks out on dismissal and seeks justice
A former SAFM radio presenter Kgomotso ‘KG’ Moeketsi has released a statement regarding her dismissal from SA FM.
She has finally broken her silence following the termination of her contract on July 15, 2026.
The dismissal followed an internal investigation led by the station’s new Programme Manager, Ferdinand Mabalane.
In a public press statement, the broadcaster detailed the events leading up to the firing, citing historical workplace friction and a minor listener interaction as the catalysts.
According to the statement, the tension began when Mabalane was introduced to SAFM staff in March 2026.
The presenter claims that Mabalane publicly accused them of contributing to his departure from Kaya FM many years prior.
The presenter disputed this claim, clarifying that their professional relationship at Kaya FM in the early 2000s lasted only a few months. At the time, staff were simply informed that shareholders requested a change in leadership.
The presenter stated they were never given an opportunity to clarify the misunderstanding with Mabalane at SAFM.
The situation culminated during a broadcast on May 30, 2026.
The presenter was hosting a curated music discovery show that had successfully run for five years. Amid technical difficulties and equipment failures, a listener sent a WhatsApp message requesting a song.
Because the show was strictly curated and not request-driven, the presenter replied to the listener: “Why don’t you play it for yourself though?”
The listener took offense, accusing the host of being rude. Following a brief exchange, the presenter deleted the messages and chose not to engage further when the listener later sent insulting messages from a different number.
Weeks after writing to SABC executives and board members without receiving a meaningful response, the presenter decided to release the statement.
They noted that speaking out is not just for personal justice, but to highlight the vulnerability of freelancers and independent contractors whose livelihoods can be drastically altered by sudden corporate decisions.
The trouble began on May 31, when the station suffered a catastrophic technical failure approximately 40 minutes into the live broadcast.
Main Control was forced to override the feed as engineers scrambled to fix the issue.
The breakdown lasted nearly two hours, leaving the presenter completely locked out of their broadcasting tools and forcing the station to deploy emergency transmission measures.
This major incident marked the second significant technical failure to hit the program within a few months, sparking deep concerns regarding station infrastructure.
Following the broadcast, the presenter was contacted by a station executive, Mabalane, regarding an urgent matter.
Expecting a discussion about the massive technical failure, the presenter instead learned that a private WhatsApp exchange with a listener from the previous day had gone viral.
While management claimed the exchange had spread rapidly across public platforms, independent searches at the time turned up little evidence of major traction.
Frustrated by what appeared to be mismatched corporate priorities—where a brief listener interaction overshadowed a massive two-hour transmission failure affecting advertisers and sponsors—the presenter sent a sharply worded email on June 1 to vent their frustrations over the lack of operational urgency.Days later, the station took decisive action.
Due to personal phone storage issues, the presenter missed the electronic suspension notice and arrived for work on June 6, only to find another host already behind the microphone.
The situation has since escalated into a formal legal battle. After receiving a charge sheet, the presenter submitted a formal response before the June 9 deadline.
However, station management has since hinted at further unmapped investigations.
Citing a lack of clarity regarding these new allegations and an apparent breach of internal protocol, the presenter has hired an attorney to formally demand immediate reinstatement.
The presenter signed a formal two-year contract with SAFM that commenced on 1 April 2026. Following a broadcast completed on 6 June, the presenter was abruptly removed from the station’s schedule.
Payment for that specific program has since been withheld on the grounds that it was linked to a broader internal investigation.
The presenter highlighted the severe financial and emotional toll of being denied compensation for completed work, emphasizing that an audio record exists to prove the broadcast took place.
On 15 July 2026, the investigation concluded, and SAFM terminated the contract citing an alleged breach.
The presenter strongly disputes this decision, clarifying that the primary concern is not the loss of the position itself, but the lack of a fair, transparent, and legally consistent process.
Having nearly reached a 30-year milestone in South African radio, the broadcaster expressed deep pride in their career’s work, which included supporting local music and building deep connections with listeners nationwide.
The presenter concluded by stating they do not wish to return to the job. Instead, they are demanding full accountability and an objective evaluation to determine if the terms of their contract were legally honored.
