The SABC has thrown down gauntlet to radio icon Kgomoto’s “ KG” Moeketsi to challenge her dismissal if she so wishes.
This was said by SABC spokesperson Mmoni Ngubane following Moeketsi’s threat to haul the SABC to the high court for unfair dismissal after the public broadcaster terminated her contract in July last year.
In a written response, Ngubane challenged Moeketsi to appeal her her expulsion from the station if she is of the view that the SABC has violated the labour laws of the Republic of South Africa.
“SAfm management can confirm that Ms Moeketsi’s contract has been terminated following an internal process. The SABC will not comment nor engage further on this matter. It’s important to note that should Ms Moeketsi wish to appeal the decision, she has the right to do so,” she said.
In a public statement released on Wednesday, Moeketsi said her contract with SAFM was terminated on 15 July following an internal investigation led by the station’s programme manager, Ferdinand Mabalane. She also claimed the SABC withheld payment for a programme she presented on 6 June, despite an audio recording confirming the broadcast took place.
Moeketsi said she had initially chosen not to speak publicly out of respect for the broadcaster and in the hope that her concerns would be addressed internally. However, after receiving what she described as no meaningful response from SABC executives and board members, she decided to make her account public.
She alleged that tensions began shortly after Mabalane’s appointment in March when he publicly claimed she had played a role in his departure from Kaya FM years ago because he had hired her – an allegation she said was inaccurate.
According to Moeketsi, the events that led to her dismissal began after she responded to a listener’s WhatsApp request for a song during her programme on 30 May by saying: “Why don’t you play it for yourself though?” She maintained that the remark was intended to be light-hearted and consistent with the format of her music discovery show.
The following day, she said, the station experienced a major technical failure that disrupted her broadcast for almost two hours while engineers attempted to restore transmission.
Moeketsi said she later received a message from Mabalane asking her to respond to an email. Believing it related to the technical failure, she was surprised to discover it instead centred on the WhatsApp exchange with the listener.
She said she struggled to understand why a serious transmission breakdown affecting listeners, advertisers and sponsors appeared to receive less urgent attention than a private exchange with a listener.
After sending a strongly worded email raising concerns about the technical failures, Moeketsi said she was suspended.
She claimed she only became aware of the suspension when she arrived at the station on 6 June to present her programme and found another presenter had already been scheduled in her place.
Moeketsi said she received a charge sheet and submitted her response within the prescribed deadline but was never given clarity on additional allegations she was told were under investigation. She subsequently instructed her attorney to demand her reinstatement, arguing that the disciplinary process was inconsistent with the procedures contained in her two-year contract, which began on 1 April 2026.
She said payment for the programme she presented on 6 June was withheld because it formed part of the investigation.
Moeketsi said she is not seeking reinstatement but wants a court to determine whether the SABC honoured the terms of her contract and whether the disciplinary process was fair.
“I am not speaking out because I want my job back, I do not. 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.
She added that she is raising funds to finance the High Court litigation, saying many freelancers and independent contractors lack the financial resources to challenge decisions that affect their livelihoods.
