Axed broadcaster Moeketsi to challenge SAFM termination in court

Veteran radio broadcaster Kgomotso Moeketsi says she is preparing to take legal action against SAFM following the termination of her contract.

She is arguing that the process leading to her dismissal was unfair and inconsistent with the terms of her agreement.

In a lengthy statement shared on social media on Wednesday, Moeketsi detailed her version of events surrounding the termination of her contract.

“I am now raising funds to pursue legal action in the high court, and this is a fight I do not undertake lightly,” she said.

Moeketsi said she had decided to speak publicly after receiving messages from presenters and freelancers who believed they had experienced similar treatment but lacked the means to challenge it.

“Independent contractors often have limited protections and few practical avenues for recourse. Many simply walk away because they cannot afford to fight. I have decided that I will not. Today, I feel compelled to share my experience, not only for myself but for the many freelancers and independent contractors who often feel powerless when faced with decisions that can dramatically alter their livelihoods,” she said.

According to Moeketsi, her contract with SAFM was terminated on July 15 following an internal investigation led by the station’s new programme manager, Ferdinand Mabalane.

The broadcaster said the events leading to her suspension began on May 30 when a listener took offence to a response she gave during her programme after requesting a song.

“In keeping with the spirit of the programme and the light-hearted responses I had often given over the years, I replied: ‘Why don’t you play it for yourself, though?’. The listener took offence to the response and accused me of being rude,” she said.

Moeketsi said she viewed the exchange as minor and believed the matter had ended.

However, she said the following day the station experienced a major technical breakdown during her programme.

“Approximately 40 minutes into my broadcast, the studio suffered a complete technical failure. ‘Main control’ was forced to take over programming while engineers attempted to resolve the problem. In radio, a breakdown of this magnitude is serious. For nearly two hours, I was unable to use the tools required to do my job and emergency measures had to be implemented to keep the station on air,” she said.

Moeketsi said she was frustrated by what she perceived as the organisation’s focus on the listener complaint rather than the technical failures affecting broadcasts.

“Instead, the focus was on my WhatsApp exchange with the listener from the previous day. The contrast was difficult for me to understand. A major broadcast failure affecting listeners and advertisers appeared to receive less immediate attention than a brief private exchange with a listener,” she said.

She said she raised concerns about the transmission breakdown in a strongly worded email on June 1 and was suspended days later.

Moeketsi claimed she was unaware of the suspension letter because she did not receive it on her phone due to storage issues and only discovered she had been removed from the schedule when she arrived at the station to present her programme on June 6.

“I subsequently received a charge sheet and was instructed to submit a response by June 9,” she said.

While she complied with the deadline, Moeketsi said she was never given clarity on additional allegations that were reportedly being investigated.

“At this stage, I instructed an attorney to demand my reinstatement because I believed the process being followed was inconsistent with the procedures outlined in my contract.

“It is important to note that this was not a casual arrangement. I had signed a two-year contract that commenced on April 1 2026. I believed I was entitled to the contractual protections and procedures set out in that agreement,” she said.

Moeketsi further alleged that payment for a programme she presented on June 6 was withheld pending the outcome of the investigation.

She said the investigation concluded on July 15, when she was informed that her contract had been terminated for an alleged breach of contract.

“I strongly dispute that decision. My concern is not merely that I lost a position, people lose jobs every day. My concern is whether the process was fair, transparent and consistent with the agreement that both parties voluntarily entered into,” she said.

Moeketsi, who said she would have marked 30 years in radio next year had she remained at SAFM, said she was not seeking reinstatement.

“What I want is accountability and an independent assessment of whether the terms of my contract were honoured and whether the actions taken against me were fair,” she said.

The SABC had not responded to Moeketsi’s allegations at the time of publication. A response will be included once received.

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