Alfred Moselakgomo
Alfred Moselakgomo
A radio presenter has been fired after he was found drunk and sleeping when he should have been presenting a midnight show.
Lesley Mathebula, pictured, who worked for the first independently owned commercial radio station in Mpumalanga, Mpower FM, was dismissed with immediate effect after the station went dead during his show when he fell asleep on Saturday night.
The show is between 12pm and 3am.
After he was carried out of the studio the management had to disinfect the whole room to get rid of the unpleasant smell of booze.
MpowerFM station general manager Bondo Ntuli said: "We were made aware of the incident by radio listeners who wondered what was happening when there was sudden silence on the airwaves.
"The listeners informed programme manager David Watts, who went to investigate and on arrival found Mathebula snoring like a lion," Ntuli said.
"We felt that this type of behaviour was unacceptable.
"We value our listeners, advertisers and stakeholders and every presenter must maintain professionalism - even at midnight."
Ntuli said Mathebula was one of the six internship students who joined the station in February as part of the station's empowerment programme.
Attempts to get Mathebula's comment drew a blank because he did not answer his phone.
boozing costs radio dj his job
Alfred Moselakgomo
Alfred Moselakgomo
A radio presenter has been fired after he was found drunk and sleeping when he should have been presenting a midnight show.
Lesley Mathebula, pictured, who worked for the first independently owned commercial radio station in Mpumalanga, Mpower FM, was dismissed with immediate effect after the station went dead during his show when he fell asleep on Saturday night.
The show is between 12pm and 3am.
After he was carried out of the studio the management had to disinfect the whole room to get rid of the unpleasant smell of booze.
MpowerFM station general manager Bondo Ntuli said: "We were made aware of the incident by radio listeners who wondered what was happening when there was sudden silence on the airwaves.
"The listeners informed programme manager David Watts, who went to investigate and on arrival found Mathebula snoring like a lion," Ntuli said.
"We felt that this type of behaviour was unacceptable.
"We value our listeners, advertisers and stakeholders and every presenter must maintain professionalism - even at midnight."
Ntuli said Mathebula was one of the six internship students who joined the station in February as part of the station's empowerment programme.
Attempts to get Mathebula's comment drew a blank because he did not answer his phone.
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