Editorial note: This article was amended since it was first published on May 28 2023
Power FM boss Given Mkhari’s younger sister Khensani Mkhari has been fired from the station with the blessing of the no-nonsense radio mogul.
This after she allegedly fabricated sexual harassment allegations against her colleague, publicly humiliated her IT colleague and vitriolically attacked the station’s managing director, James Shikwambana.
Mkhari’s sister has taken the station to the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Joburg where she is expected to face off with Shikwambana and the station’s management team.
Her dismissal was revealed by a CCMA official and confirmed by two Power FM employees who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
Speaking to Sunday World, the CCMA official said the woman, who was employed as a marketing coordinator, had filed a case of unfair dismissal against the station, which is owned by Mkhari. She wants the CCMA to declare unlawful Shikwambana’s decision to fire her, set it aside and force him to return her job.
“I’m not sure when is the next date of the hearing, but I can authoritatively tell you that she is not going to win this case because the station management did due diligence before firing her,” said the CCMA official.
The CCMA employee’s version of events were corroborated by two Power FM employees who commended Mkhari’s professionalism after he tacitly agreed with Shikwambana’s decision to pink slip his sister.
The employee said the woman first filed a case of sexual harassment against her male employee and wanted the alleged sex pest to be expelled from the station.
The employee said Shikwambana and Mkhari, who abhor gender-based violence with profound intensity, instituted investigations into her allegations.
“The company hired investigators and instructed them to leave no stone unturned as they wanted to fire these perpetrators. After several days of probing, the investigators found no substance in the sexual harassment claims she made against her colleague. This incensed Mkhari and Shikwambana, who decided, out of the sensitivity of the matter, not to charge her,” said the employee.
The employee said what broke the camel’s back was when she undressed one of colleagues in the IT unit with a barrage of insults.
“My colleague decided to file a formal grievance against her. James asked her, as part of preliminary investigations, to write representations to him. Instead, she verbally attacked him.”
Another employee said after her tirade, Shikwambana, who felt disrespected by her, charged her, and hauled her before a disciplinary hearing and fired her.
“Before she went to the hearing, she apparently tried to ask Given to intervene, but he refused. We commend James and Given for doing the right thing. These guys are a living example that no matter who you are, you should be held accountable for decisions you take, and that in the corporate world every employee is treated equally.”
When contacted for comment, Shikwambana said he was busy and promised to return to us, and never did. Repeated attempts to solicit comments drew a blank, as did attempts to contact Mkhari.
Sunday World was subsequently advised that the labour dispute between Mkhari and Power FM had been settled during conciliation at the CCMA.
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