Soshanguve ANCYL wants TUT FM station manager gone

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Ms Kidibone Mahapa. station manager at TUT FM

The Soshanguve African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has called for the manager of the TUT Community Radio Station, Ms Kedibone Mahapa, to leave the station immediately.

The ANCYL Soshanguve said it is apprehensive of TUT’s Management in dealing with the issue of careless spending, but it is also aware that almost four weeks have passed and the management has not done anything about the station manager.

“TUT FM belongs to everyone in the community, not people who only think of their stomachs,” ANCYL said in a statement.

Presenters at the TUT FM have accused Ms Mahapa of holding a number of managerial positions including marketing, programmes, station and administration manager and for allegedly misusing the station’s money.

It was also said that the ANCYL Soshanguve branch will be mobilising young people across the City of Tshwane to temporarily close the community station until Ms Mahapa is suspended pending an investigation by the TUT Management.

Radio Presenters also raised questions of the Annual General Meeting attendance and the Station’s tapes. There are doubts that the AGM is not even held, as it is supposed to be every year.

TUT FM’s AM RUSH Presenter Khutsi Malala, has talked bravely about these allegations including on social media. In a Facebook post, he said that, after he publicly announced the corruption happening at the station, Ms Mahapa’s friends threatened him.

“TUT FM has no management structure, there are no programming or staff meetings and I can say whatever I want to say on air. How does ICASA accept a one-person management report? This is fraud and she is not cooking the books alone,” Mr Malala said.

Among the allegations, the presenters also questioned the R100 000 donation made by former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa in 2016.

In a media interview, Ms Mahapa said the R100 000 is still there.
“Nothing has been done at the station, because requests for renovations have been made and are awaiting approval.”

She also mentioned that she had raised approximately a Million for the station to be renovated. It is also alleged that the station manager owns three cars, while the staff gets very small salaries or nothing at all.

The volunteer presenters have asked for ICASA to intervene, as this is a community station and can not be treated as if it belong to an individual.