Radio presenter told to apologise
While many South Africans have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the disease has saved Power FM radio presenter Pabi Moloi’s job.
Sunday World can reveal that Moloi, who was yanked off air for her on-air incoherence and for attacking a listener, has been given a final written warning, thanks to the intervention of Power FM MD Leslie Ntloko.
A radio employee, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisal, said that Moloi was called into a meeting last week by management, where she was given a final written warning for her on-air blooper.
During the meeting, the sheepish Moloi allegedly told her bosses that she had ill-treated the listener because she was not well and was not in a good space. The radio presenter then apologised unreservedly and pleaded for forgiveness.
It is alleged that Ntloko pleaded with the management not to fire her as part of the process to heed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for companies to preserve jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
“The expectation was that she was going to be relieved of her job as a result of the things she said on air at the time. But after Ramaphosa’s call for companies not to shed jobs, Ntloko intervened and pleaded with management not to fire her but give her a final written warning,” said the radio employee.
“She was told to apologise to the station, her colleagues, Power FM listeners and South Africans at large for her unethical on-air behaviour,” said the employee.
Two of the station’s employees, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, alleged that Moloi was incoherent on air and also humiliated a caller when she told the caller to stop talking without full stops and commas in his sentences.
“That was so embarrassing and humiliating. From there the station manager … [and] Leslie Ntloko were inundated with phone calls from the listeners asking if Pabi was drunk or [if] she was sick.
“Some demanded that she be fired from her job for bringing the station into disrepute,” said one of the employees. Ntloko confirmed that Moloi had been given a written warning and has already resumed her duties.
“She apologised for her omission, which apology was accepted. She also apologised to the listeners and South Africans in general upon her return to work,” he said.
Moloi could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
