Drama is brewing in the studios of Lesedi FM in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, over the absence of its top-rated radio presenter, Nyakallo “Ba2Cada” Leine.
Leine, who is loved by millions of Lesedi FM listeners, has been off the air at the Sesotho radio station since December 30 last year.
Insiders at the station claimed that the talented on-air personality was supposed to have been on air at the station on December 30 and 31 to co-present his morning programme Monate Breakfast Show with his colleague, Seipati “Twasa” Seoke.
However, because Seoke was on leave, Leine was expected to co-present the show with the station’s Rea Thella afternoon drive presenter, Thabo “Bundle of Joy” Mokone.
But he went AWOL (absent without leave), leaving his bosses seething with anger.
“Ba2Cada was supposed to have been on duty on 30 and 31 December, but he never showed up to do the show. Remember that those presenters do their job in the studio and leave, and they don’t even meet the management before and after work as they broadcast from different locations. Some work in Auckland Park, while others work from Bloemfontein.
“In that sense, nobody from the management knew that Ba2Cada was not present on those two days until they heard Thabo doing the show alone,” said an insider.
Sunday World understands that Leine applied for his annual leave from January 1 to 17 and undertook to return to the airwaves on January 20.
However, when he returned, he was told that he should not dare come to the studios as there were pertinent issues the station management wanted to discuss with him about his disappearance in December.
“The programme manager, Mannini Nyokong, told Ba2Cada that he should not go on air on January 20, saying he was not scheduled to work.
Since then, Ba2Cada was never allowed back on air, as Mannini was angry that he failed to report to work on two consecutive days in December, when he was needed the most.
He was not allowed to be back on air since then. He was told that if he thought he was bigger than the station, he must voetsek,” said an insider.
Claims surfaced that some of the station’s bosses and presenters wanted Lesedi FM to get rid of Leine, saying he was doing well in his other side hustles.
“Ankere Ba2Cada’s football team, D’General FC, in the ABC Motsepe League Championship in Free State, is topping the league in Stream A, and if it wins the playoffs, his team goes to NFD, and they don’t want that.
“This means that the success of his team has created jealousy among his colleagues, who are asking how he could achieve this while working as a mere radio presenter,” another mole said.
“An insider said that the issue is that Leine has many business interests apart from his radio gig.
“Another thing is that Ba2Cada is a successful businessman who does a lot of gigs as well as his annual Ba2Cada soccer tournament challenge.
“All these things are giving some of his colleagues sleepless nights as they don’t understand how he can achieve all these, including paying his players, coaches and the rest of the technical team,” said a third insider.
“Lesedi FM management can confirm that Mr. Nyakallo Leine is contracted by Lesedi FM and as such he has an employment relationship with the station. In this regard, we will not discuss employer/employee related matters in the public space, “said SABC spokesperson Mmoni Ngubane.
Leine declined to comment.
