Jozi FM has moved to quell growing uncertainty around its leadership and the cancellation of presenter contracts, with the Soweto Media Resource Centre (SMRC), which operates the station, insisting that it remains fully operational and that its chief executive officer, Mpho Mhlongo, has not been suspended.
In a statement issued on 13 August, the SMRC board said it was responding to what it described as “unauthorized and misleading statements” circulating publicly about the station’s executive leadership and management. The board said claims that Mhlongo had been suspended were “completely false and unauthorized”, and accused former directors of attempting to disrupt the organisation.
“The SMRC Board of Directors categorically confirms that Dr. Mpho Mhlongo remains fully active and recognized as the legitimate Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organization,” the statement said.
The dispute comes at a difficult time for Jozi FM, a community broadcaster with deep roots in Soweto and a role that extends beyond entertainment and music into local news, development programming and community-focused broadcasting. For a station whose relationship with its listeners is built heavily on trust and familiarity, public disagreements over leadership can quickly become bigger than an internal boardroom dispute.
The latest statement suggests that the station is dealing with competing claims over who has legitimate authority within the organisation. The board says the SMRC Forum, which it identifies as the owners responsible for appointing directors, removed certain former directors. It alleges that some of those former directors are now attempting to interfere with the station’s operations.
The board also makes serious allegations against two former directors. It says one former chairperson is facing an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit over allegations involving R34 million, including alleged theft, fraud and suspected money laundering, while another former director is facing criminal charges involving allegations of rape. These are allegations and matters before the relevant authorities and courts, and the individuals involved have not been convicted on the claims outlined by the station.
According to the board, the financial matter relates to National Lottery funds allegedly intended for SMRC and has been referred to a special commercial court under case number 62/05/2025. The board says the separate criminal matter involving allegations against another former director has been consolidated under case number 43/638/2024, with proceedings scheduled for October 2026.
The station’s current leadership says these unresolved issues form part of the wider governance battle surrounding the organisation and argues that the public should distinguish between authorised communication from the board and statements it considers illegitimate.
Another flashpoint has been the cancellation of contracts involving presenters and other service providers. Rather than describing the terminations as arbitrary, management says they were processed through its Human Resources Department and followed alleged breaches of service-level agreements and internal codes of conduct.
The board says some of the alleged misconduct included repeatedly reporting for work while under the influence of substances and abandoning broadcasting posts without what management considered a valid or lawful reason.
“Maintaining professional conduct, adherence to labour terms, and protecting the broadcast standard of Jozi FM are non-negotiable priorities,” the statement said.
The contract cancellations are significant because presenters are often the public face of community radio stations. Their departure can trigger speculation among listeners, particularly when there is little immediate clarity about whether changes are driven by programming decisions, financial pressures, disciplinary matters or wider organisational disputes.
Jozi FM, however, says its position is that discipline and governance cannot be sacrificed in the interests of individual personalities. The board maintains that its decisions are intended to protect the station’s public-service mandate and broadcasting standards.
The station’s troubles are therefore not simply about presenters coming and going. They point to a deeper struggle over governance, accountability and control of an organisation that occupies an important place in Soweto’s media landscape.
Despite the controversy, the board insists that there is no shutdown or operational collapse.
“Jozi FM remains fully operational and committed to serving its listeners across the greater Soweto footprint and multi-platforms with high-quality broadcasting, development programming, and reliable news,” it said.
The board has urged listeners, partners and other stakeholders to disregard communications that it says are designed to destabilise the station, while promising to continue with what it describes as forensic and legal accountability processes.
For now, the most important question facing Jozi FM is whether the competing claims over its leadership and governance can be resolved without further damaging confidence in the station. With the broadcaster insisting that Mhlongo remains in charge and that its management decisions were properly processed, the dispute appears far from over.
The station’s future stability will ultimately depend not only on who occupies the boardroom, but on whether Jozi FM can restore clarity around its governance while maintaining the trust of the Soweto community it serves.
