They were once one of the most talked about online radio stations, pioneered by self-proclaimed entrepreneur Sibusiso â€?"DJ Sbu” Leope. From 2017, the station was loved by many. But for seven years, keeping afloat and getting advertisers has been a challenge and one of the reasons that allegedly forced the station to a close in March 2023. With the closure, over 10 staff members were retrenched and forced to find other means of making a living. 

 

NO SALARIES

Speaking to ZiMoja on conditions of anonymity, two former staff members say they have not received their salaries and pensions funds. �"They still owe me my salary for two months,” she says. �"The salary was not really a salary but money for transport for us to get around, we were volunteers technically. So for the last two months, I used my own money to get to work, hoping they would pay me but they haven’t. It’s been almost three months since we left and they have still not paid me my money.” The former employee says that she is not the only one being owed money. �"They have not paid all of us. I am not the only one. I am just lucky that I come from an average home and I just got a new job at another radio station.”

 

DRAMA

Another former host says she is waiting for her pension annuity. �"We were full-time staff members, so unlike the freelancers, we had a pension fund. We have not received feedback about signing out forms to get our money. I have been living off my savings. I am still okay for now, but not for long,” she said. A producer who was retrenched says she is owed one month’s salary and is getting tired of waiting. �"I just want my money. A lot is going on there; lawsuits and court orders. I don’t want to be part of it. I just want the one-month salary they owe me.”

 

THE GOOD OLD DAY

After the sudden departure of media personality Penny Lebyane from Massiv Metro, things went downhill. DJ Sbu announced his exit from the station in 2021 citing other business interests that he was pursuing. He went on to open a YouTube channel and podcast, The Hustlers Corner. When the station started, within six months, they reached an accumulative weekly audience of 700 000 listeners.

 The station also had well-known names in the industry when it started with media personality Faith Mangope as the station manager.