Kaya FM’s former station manager, Greg Maloka, allegedly outraged women who accused him of sexual harassment when he apologised to the station’s female employees on behalf of his male colleagues if they had crossed the line, despite facing sexual harassment allegations himself.
Maloka allegedly extended an olive branch during a staff meeting titled “The Gender-Based Violence Session, State of the Station Address”, held in 2019 in the kitchen area of the station’s headquarters in Rosebank, Gauteng.
The startling tidbits are contained in a findings report compiled by Brenda Madumise, a lawyer who was hired by the station to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Maloka.
“According to the parties providing testimony, this session took place in the kitchen area of the Kaya FM building. The women in the company were addressed by their male colleagues. At this session, Greg apologised on behalf of the men to the women in the company,” reads the report.
The report further states that this was not well received by the women who testified during her investigation as they told Madumise that the statements made during the meeting were “a farce, inauthentic and insulting”.
“Accused number one doesn’t apologise for himself. Psychologically mind-boggling. I had never seen anything like it except in movies,” these were the words uttered by the women who testified before Madumise, the report said.
The report further said the women were piqued with Maloka.
“I felt angry. He normalised this behaviour in our environment; now he is undermining us.”
“I was pissed. It was fake and a silencing project. We were never even asked for our input; it was once again about them,” reads the report.
The report further said the alleged victims did not report the alleged sexual harassment because Maloka was close to human resources (HR) executive and job—and another employee named Linda, who worked in the finance department.
“HR reported to both Greg and Linda, so how do you report this?
Complicit in the behaviour.
Fear. Greg is well known, and it can affect my career.
I did report it and it got back to Greg.
HR never felt like a safe place to speak,” the report quotes the women.
They also alleged that then board chairperson Sizwe Mncgwano and Maloka were friends.
The report further states that after a WhatsApp message was circulated with the headline “Corruption at Kaya FM – Delinquent Board” on 1 August 2020, a production meeting was held on 3 August 2020, where Maloka and Linda, addressed the employees about it.
“According to the staff in attendance at the meeting who provided evidence, Greg addressed the team, saying he felt angry and stated that, in the 21st century, the author of the allegations could easily be traced.
It must be noted that Greg and Linda did not deny that this incident had occurred. The same has provided fertile ground for the distrust of the process. The employees who have come forward refer to this meeting as a threat not to come forward.
Greg admits that he was angry when he addressed the meeting, and furthermore acknowledges that the staff member alleged to have written the allegations was present at the meeting,” reads the report.
In conclusion, Madumise ruled that Maloka breached the sexual harassment prescripts and exposed the station to litigation risks and reputational damage.
She alleged that several female employees of the station testified against Maloka and proffered evidence to corroborate their claims.
According to the report, the women alleged that Maloka hugged them inappropriately, kissed them, and made improper remarks.
The report states that one of the alleged victims said Maloka kissed her in his hotel room.
“A colleague and I were invited to a Kaya FM function which was held off-site and was a sleepover. My colleague and I shared a room. Greg requested that I come to his room, where he proceeded to remove his jeans and started to kiss me. I left the room in shock and tried to find my colleague. As a young professional, I was afraid to come forward and did not press any charges. I was further afraid to tell my own superiors as I worried whether it would compromise business with Kaya FM. I do realise that what Greg did was wrong and was using his power and influence to psychologically manipulate me,” she said.
Maloka left the station in the middle of Madumise’s investigations but has since been rehired as partner of the station’s sister entity named United Stations, which sells advertising for Kaya FM.
