Radio broadcasters, DJs, producers who were recently fired by a local radio station broadcasting in Newcastle iMvula 98.5 FM, have filed a lawsuit against the radio station at labor court, alleging that they were wasting their money.

According to the source, they have witnessed the letters claiming that co-operation agreements had not been renewed because they had failed to do the work.

However, there are rumors that some of the agreements were not renewed because they refused to pay bribe to the station manager Mr Siyanda Ndzimande.

Siyanda Ndzimande Imvula FM radio station manager

The source also revealed that there was a deduction from their salaries of R1000, which was allegedly transferred to the founder of the radio station.

Most of the broadcasters complained about losing their jobs after complaining about poor pay. They said they had tried several times to contact the station manager for salaries but were told that the operating contracts had expired.

One of them is Mdu Mfeka, who has been fired from his position as acting radio program manager for the station, which has been in place for three months.

He said the problem started the day he asked the station manager for non-payment at the end of April. He said that was when he received a letter saying he had been fired instead of being the program manager.

“The letter said I would no longer be the program manager but I could continue with the radio presenting, I had over the weekend that I had no problem with because it was the one I had just come to the station for,” explained Mdu.

Mdu said in May he received a letter saying he had been fired from the station.

The other is Niyoshi Pillay, who worked at the station for few months received a letter informing her that they would no longer need her help since June.

“When I received the letter I was not shocked because I had spoken to the station manager before receiving the letter and he told me that they would reduce the staff because of the money,” said Niyoshi, who said she had never been paid the agreed amount.

Khayelihle Magwaza, one of the evictees, said he first saw the problem when he received less money than had been agreed. He said he stepped on the tail of the station manager because the next day he arrived with another broadcaster on his show.

“When I inquired about that, I was told that I had been fired and that I should not return to work,” said Khayelihle, who decided to arrest the radio station on suspicion of embezzlement.

 

 

One of the broadcasters, who asked not to be named, said that in early May, he was given a letter of suspension which was unfounded and unsigned to sign. He said he was shocked to find out that in May he had been volunteering for a month.

The other was Sne Mtshali, who revealed that she had been cheated on by Siyanda but that if she refused to date her, he threatened to fire her. “He said I was stupid for not dating him because he was in charge of the station and he was the one who would decide if I had a good or bad working experience,” said Sne.

Commenting, Siyanda is a blatant lie that he once demanded money or flirted with employees hired by Mvula. He said all the released broadcasters had a three-month contract with the station.

“After that period of 3 months Imvula FM reviewed their progress and decided not to renew their term but released them,” Siyanda said. He appealed to those who said he had told them or asked for money to come forward because it was a practice he would never do.