SABC Confirms Dismissal of Radio Veteran Kgomotso Moeketsi from SAfm

Moeketsi, who hosted the weekly jazz program Seasons on SAfm, joined the station in April 2020. Previously, she worked at the now-closed radio stations Radio BOP, Kaya FM, and Gagasi FM. She clarified that she does not seek reinstatement.

In a statement published on Wednesday, Moeketsi announced that her contract was annulled on July 15th following an internal review led by the station's new programming manager, Ferdinand Mabalane. She remained silent on the matter for a long time to respect the organization and hoping her concerns would be addressed through appropriate channels.

However, despite reaching out to SABC executives and board members, she received no substantive response. Moeketsi stated that she felt compelled to share her experience not only for herself but also for many freelancers and independent contractors who often feel powerless against decisions that can drastically alter their livelihoods.

According to Moeketsi, when Mabalane was introduced to staff in March 2026, he publicly mentioned her as someone who allegedly contributed to his departure from Kaya FM years ago because he hired her. Moeketsi called this unexpected and inaccurate information. She noted that her professional relationship with him at Kaya FM lasted only a few months in the early 2000s, and at that time, staff were informed about the shareholders' desire to change management.

She expressed hope to discuss the matter with him, but such an opportunity did not arise. Moeketsi emphasized that for five years, she successfully curated and presented the radio program for which she was specifically hired, and it was a music discovery-based program, not one based on listener requests.

On May 30, 2026, when she came to host her program, Moeketsi encountered another series of technical difficulties. She reported that equipment failures were becoming increasingly frequent, and on that day, the microphone she relied on broke down, complicating an already difficult broadcast. Closer to the end of the show, a listener sent a message via WhatsApp asking for a song to be played. In the spirit of the program and in response to her previous lighthearted replies, she responded: "Why don't you play it yourself?" The listener took offense at the reply and accused her of rudeness. After a brief exchange, she ended the conversation and deleted the messages. When the listener later sent an abusive message from another number, she decided not to engage, deeming the interaction insignificant.

The next day, May 31st, a more serious incident occurred. Approximately 40 minutes into the broadcast, the studio completely failed. The main control center had to take over programming while engineers attempted to resolve the issue. Moeketsi noted that such a failure in radio broadcasting is serious, and she was unable to use necessary tools for nearly two hours, requiring emergency measures to maintain the airwaves.

This was the second major technical failure affecting her program over several months. She felt disappointment and deep concern because the incident affected listeners, sponsors, and advertisers, and inevitably reflected on her as the host, even though it was entirely beyond her control. On her way home after the broadcast, she received a message from Mabalane asking her to urgently respond to an email he had sent. She assumed it was related to the transmission failure, but it turned out to be about her WhatsApp correspondence with the listener the day before. She was informed that this exchange had become widely known. She searched for information on various platforms but found no evidence that it had garnered significant attention. This contrast was confusing to her: a major broadcast failure affecting listeners and advertisers seemed less urgent than a brief personal exchange with a listener.

On June 1st, she wrote a strongly argued email expressing concern about the transmission failure and what she perceived as a lack of urgency regarding the matter. A few days later, she was suspended from work. She was unaware of the suspension letter as she did not receive it on her phone due to storage issues. When she arrived at the station on June 6th to host her program, she discovered that another host had already been scheduled in her place and was told she should not broadcast.

After this, she received a charge letter and was instructed to provide a response by June 9th. She met this requirement within the deadline, but she was also informed that additional matters were under investigation. Despite repeated attempts, she never received clarity regarding these additional allegations. At this stage, she has hired a lawyer to demand reinstatement, as she believes the process being followed does not comply with the procedures outlined in her contract. She stressed that this was not a casual agreement.

She signed a two-year contract starting on April 1, 2026, and believed she was entitled to contractual guarantees and procedures stipulated by that agreement. On June 6th, she conducted a broadcast before being removed from the schedule. As required, she submitted an invoice for this work, but payment was delayed based on it being part of a broader investigation. To date, she has not received compensation for this program, despite having an audio recording confirming the broadcast. She feels that the refusal to pay for completed work is both financially and emotionally difficult for any freelancer.

Her contract was terminated in July following the conclusion of the investigation. On July 15, 2026, the investigation concluded, and her contract was annulled based on alleged breach of contract. Moeketsi firmly disputes this decision. Her concern is not merely the loss of employment, as people lose jobs daily; what worries her is fairness, transparency, and adherence to the terms agreed upon by both parties. Moeketsi added that if she had remained at SAfm, she would have turned 30 in broadcasting in June.

Looking back on nearly three decades in broadcasting, she feels pride, as radio was her life's work, allowing her to connect with the audience, promote South African music, and build relationships with listeners across the country. Therefore, this experience is very painful for her. She speaks about it not because she wants her job back, but because she demands accountability and an independent assessment of whether her contract terms were upheld and whether the actions taken against her were fair.

She is currently raising funds to file a lawsuit in the High Court. She emphasized that litigation is a costly, time-consuming, and emotionally draining process, but she believes the issues involved go beyond her personal circumstances. After beginning to share parts of her experience, she heard from many hosts and freelancers who, she feels, have gone through similar treatment but lacked the resources to challenge it. Independent contractors often have limited protection and few practical avenues for appeal, and many simply do not fight due to lack of funds. She decided she would not.

She asked for support from those who believe in contract adherence, the importance of due legal process, and that no person should be denied a fair hearing simply due to a lack of institutional power. In response to IOL inquiries, the public broadcaster confirmed Moeketsi's contract termination. An SABC representative, Mmoni Ngubane, told IOL that "SAfm management can confirm that Ms. Moeketsi's contract was terminated following an internal process." He also stated that "SABC will not comment on or continue to discuss this matter. It is important to note that if Ms. Moeketsi wishes to appeal the decision, she has the right to do so."