Things appear tricky for popular Umhlobo Wenene presenter Rev Mzukisi Faleni after he was suspended by the station.
Faleni, who presents the popular religious programme Imvuselelo (Revival) on Sunday evenings, was suspended on June 10 by the station’s business manager, Loyiso Bala, for an alleged conflict of interest.
This after Zibonele FM, a community radio station in the Western Cape, posted on its Facebook page last month that Faleni was to be part of its programme called Yizani Siqiqe (Come Let’s Reason), which airs on Sunday mornings.
Umhlobo Wenene is the SABC’s third-biggest station after Ukhozi FM and Metro FM.
Weekend Post’s sister paper Daily Dispatch has seen a letter of suspension from Bala and a response from Faleni.
Bala wrote: “It has come to Umhlobo Wenene FM management’s attention that you have allegedly been involved in serious acts of misconduct which, if proven to be true and correct, may amount to a material breach of your independent contractor’s agreement.
“The aforesaid allegations are that, on May 27, Radio Zibonele posted on their Facebook page a poster that promoted a programme called Yizani Siqiqe, where you are the host of the show together with former SABC employee Mbulelo Ngewu and former SABC independent contributor, Otto Makalima,” Bala wrote.
Bala said the station’s management viewed the alleged conduct in a “very serious light”.