Veteran radio and television presenter Linda Sibiya was once the voice that millions of listeners woke up to on Ukhozi FM.
However, Sibiya’s fall from grace was swift and public, with accusations of misconduct and high-profile feuds casting a shadow over his decorated career.
Sibiya started off as a security guard who used to carry a radio to work. And he always knew he would become a radio DJ.
Poured his heart out on Showmax episode
Speaking on Showmax’s Unfollowed, Sibiya said when he joined Ukhozi FM, Bhodloza Nzimande believed in him and was not in competition with him. Sibiya was later affiliated to the ANC when he joined the political party.
“I joined the ANC because I love Jacob Zuma, the ANC and I loved Mandela. Zuma was like a father to me, but I never tendered or filled in any tender document. All I told him was that I wanted to have a license for a radio station, but I never achieved that.”
In 2013, Sibiya was approached by a corporate (Edcon) to work with them. After doing the Magic tour for the company, he received a call from the then Ukhozi FM station manager. He informed him that the SABC auditors wanted to see him. This was about his work with the corporate, and his company, Magic Communications.
After 17 years on air, everything changed in 2014 when he was fired by Ukhozi FM. Initially there were rumours that he was let go for promoting the ANC, but that was clarified.
Loss of job ‘took away my life, passion and purpose’
“Being fired on Ukhozi FM was too much. The first time I poured out my heart to my fans I was dead. I died when I left the SABC, I never took any leave and was always on air. And I loved radio so much. That station manager wanted to get rid of me. He was just waiting for something. When he took away my mic, he took away my life, passion and purpose.”
Sibiya said the bad press affected his business and brand a lot. He lost many deals, such as endorsements, and some people did not want to work with him. Months after being booted out of the station, he landed a job at a local radio station Vuma FM.
In 2015, he appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit Court for fraud for the Edcon deal. He was later acquitted, and the Edcon employee was arrested.
“I was really tempted to take the SABC to court, but I do not know what stopped me from doing that.”
Switched political affiliation
In 2023, after years of being affiliated with the ANC, he accepted a speaking opportunity from the EFF. He said the move was not in order to be relevant. After that he was accused of misusing funds from the ANC. However, he later did the event he was supposed to do that had cost R4-million.
