Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, I write this not just as a concerned South African, but as someone who admires you deeply. You were, and still are, a formidable intellect, a scholar, a gifted orator, and a revolutionary voice that resonates with the struggles of the marginalised.
For over a decade, you stood at the frontline of political discourse, challenging power with unrelenting conviction. But today, I find myself grappling with a difficult question: how did you, of all people, end up at PowerFM?
Surely, you are not ignorant of the controversy surrounding the station’s owner. You must remember the national outrage when he was accused of gender-based violence (GBV) against his wife. You must recall the letters, petitions and impassioned calls from thousands of South African women who insisted that President Cyril Ramaphosa should not participate in the so-called Chairman’s Conversation due to the unresolved allegations.
Their cries were heard and the interview did not happen.
But now, here you are. A man who built his career on challenging injustice and speaking truth to power, now aligned with a platform that has been accused of silencing those who dared to hold its owner accountable.
Then there’s the matter of political neutrality or the glaring lack thereof. You have spent over 11 years as one of the most vocal and passionate members of the EFF. You did not just serve in the party; you embodied its militant spirit, its unwavering opposition to corruption, and its unapologetic pursuit of economic justice.
Now, you expect the public to believe that, overnight, you have become an objective commentator on political affairs?
How will you fairly interview an ANC official, whom you have previously condemned as an enemy of the people? How will you sit across from an EFF representative and question them without bias, when just yesterday you were shoulder to shoulder in the trenches?
Would you encourage politicians to switch sides as easily as you have, without taking a cooling off period? Should we now normalise the idea that one can move seamlessly from being a political soldier to being an “objective” journalist without so much as a pause for reflection?
I cannot help but feel that your transition from fiery activist to talk-show host reeks of opportunism. You are a man who once spoke so passionately against the exploitation of workers, will you now address the fact that PowerFM cut staff salaries unfairly as recently as December? Or will you remain silent to protect your position?
The true test of your character, Dr Ndlozi, will come when you are faced with the difficult choice of speaking truth to power, even when that power is your own employer. Were the owner of PowerFM to face new allegations of misconduct, would you call him out on your show? Would you demand accountability as fiercely as you once did in parliament?
Or would you choose self-preservation over principle?
This is not an abstract question. We have already seen how PowerFM treated those who dared to speak out against its leadership.
Remember JJ Tabane? He was fired from the station after raising the issue of the owner’s GBV accusations on his show. A man who, like you, prided himself on being a voice for the voiceless, silenced because he dared to hold his employer accountable.
Will you be next? Or have you already decided that some battles are no longer worth fighting?
Dr Ndlozi, you were never just another politician. You were a symbol of youthful defiance, of intellectual rigour, of a generation that refused to be silenced. But today, you stand at a crossroads. Will you be remembered as a revolutionary thinker who stayed true to his principles, or as yet another bright mind who traded conviction for comfort?
You have gifts that many would kill for, your intelligence, your eloquence, your ability to inspire. The question is, what will you use them for now? Will you fight for the workers at PowerFM who have been treated unfairly? Will you challenge your employer if the need arises? Or will you go down in history as an “ice boy” who stood for nothing but his own survival?
So, I ask you, Dr Ndlozi, with all the respect and disappointment that I can muster: Who are you, and what do you stand for?
Are you desperate? Are you hungry? Or have you simply lost your way?
• Lebo Keswa is a businesswoman and a social commentator
