A harassment case has been filed against the owner of Radio Bop Africa for allegedly intimidating a staff member and not paying her salary.
On Tuesday, the station’s former marketing and public relations specialist, Lerato Phoku, also served the station’s owner, Gift Mogapi, with a protection order.
Phoku revealed to Sunday World that she fears for her life after Mogapi threatened her when she asked about her unpaid salary for January.
“This is affecting me terribly because my debit orders are bouncing back. I have no money to even go back home to Johannesburg. I am broke,” she said.
Targets not met
The thing that hurt Phoku the most, according to her, was that she gave the company her time by working odd hours seven days a week.
She also claimed that she was forced to use her own resources for work because she was never given company equipment.
“Paperwork was never done. When I asked about my payment for January, I was told that I did not meet targets,” she said.
“I asked which targets, because they had not provided me with any targets or even equipment to reach those targets. I have been using my own data, my own airtime, and my own laptop to do the work.”
In December, Phoku moved from another radio station in Johannesburg to work at Radio Bop Africa, which is based in Mahikeng in the North West.
She said that she moved to the Northwest with the understanding that her new employer would honour both her and his contractual obligations.
The fact that she now feels as though she must constantly watch her back due to threats from her former boss, she continued, is what hurts her the most.
Heated exchange
In a heated WhatsApp exchange, Mogapi cautions Phoku to exercise caution because “he is connected”.
“Rest assured, I am constantly listing and making decisions that are always in the best interest of my people,” says Mogapi in one of the WhatsApp messages.
“Whether you choose to believe it or not, I am willing to go to great lengths, even to the point of sacrificing my life, for the betterment of my people.”
Phoku opened a case of harassment against Mogapi at the Mahikeng police station on Monday.
In an open letter that was posted on social media on Tuesday, Phoku states that she has also approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration to deal with her labour issues.
Upon publishing, Radio Bop Africa had not responded to Phoku’s accusations. When this article was published, Mogapi had not responded to requests for comment made on Wednesday.
