Lesedi FM bosses and Thuso Motaung are getting under snow as they are now being blamed for the mess that is unfolding at the station.
The listeners of the SABC’s Bloemfontein-based radio station also unleashed fury on Motaung’s wife, Mamontha Motaung, who is the head of business for Lesedi FM and Motsweding FM, and Mannini Nyokong, the Sesotho broadcasting programmes manager.
After Sunday World published a story about the presenter of Makgulong A Matala and Jwale Ke Nako last week, where he accused the station’s award-winning sportscaster Thabo Kofa of plotting to assassinate him and his family, things took a nasty turn and resulted in a public relations mess for Lesedi FM, Motaungs, and Nyokong.
Thousands of angry listeners who read the story came out guns blazing and said that Lesedi FM is not the Motaung FM, but the radio station for the people.
So bad is the situation that many listeners accused the Motaungs of running Lesedi FM as their own fiefdom, and demanded that the SABC mandarins take action against the trio for bringing the station into disrepute.
In the recording that we listened to, Nyokong could be heard scolding senior and junior presenters and producers of the station, saying she is not going to allow them to behave like kindergarten kids.
She lashed out at presenters for arriving late for work and said they are costing the station time and money due to their reckless time management and lack of consideration.
“I am no longer going to laugh with people, everyone will feel my wrath. We are not kids here. If you fail to do your job, I will penalise you,” she can be heard saying.
“I told you to come an hour before the show. We are tired of babysitting old people like you. Internal information that is being leaked to external sources is an offence.
“We have told you many times that this is a serious transgression.
“Those perpetrators, if found, things will be bad. People have gone out there to tarnish our names by taking confidential information.
“The issue that was leaked out is about me, Thuso and Mamontha, and labelled us as wicked people.
“If people think that they can be so spiteful, we will show them and deal with them accordingly.”
This week, the listeners attacked Motaung on the station’s social media page, including other social media groups in South Africa and Lesotho.
The listeners labelled him as “Rakgadi” and said he is a gossiper of note who uses the radio station’s platform to attack the people who disagree with him.
Bamhloile Kotopo said: “I am still listening to that recording of Lesedi FM where Thuso Motaung and the station bosses are just blackmailing Thabo Kofa.
Aaron Mokoena said: “Thabo Kofa is not the one who wrote that on social media. They are afraid to ask because they know that the person [who posted on social media] knows all their stories.
“They’re afraid that the person is going to expose them for their bad behaviour. That is what they fear.”
Neo Neo said: “Mamontha as the head of the station doesn’t respect the rights of the workers. She spoke recklessly with Ntate Kofa [Mr Kofa], as if she was talking to a child. That radio station is toxic.
“I wish Ntate Kofa can sue them and get a job a SuperSport, as the Motaungs make Lesedi FM their own radio station.
Another listener said: “When you create problems for your colleagues and cause them discomfort at work, you expect them to keep quiet because your wife is the boss.
“You are behaving like gods of Lesedi FM.”
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