The station refused to confirm, however, which slot Fresh will fill on the 5FM line-up: afternoon (likely) or morning, as Gareth Cliff is rumoured to be moving from the afternoon drive time slot to take over Mark Gillman's breakfast show. Gillman announced last week that he would be departing the morning slot, but would want to continue at 5FM in some other capacity.
John Langford, Station Manager at 5FM comments: "We've been systematically positioning 5FM for three years now in order to establish ourselves as the obvious choice for cosmopolitan, 20-something South Africans."
Commented Fresh: "I am excited about being part of the start of a new 5FM era. I grew up listening to the then Radio 5 and Capital. Capital is no more - so, naturally... See you July 3rd!"
"The Big Dawg" - as Thato "Fresh" Sikwane is known to those close to him - hails from Gaborone, Botswana. He spread his grooves at YFM for over 8 years, where he was responsible for making the breakfast show one of the most popular morning slots in SA. Fresh has also established various scholarships, in association with tertiary institutions such as RAU, Boston Media House and Monash University, to assist youth from all walks of life to realize their dreams. He has become legendary for the unorthodox methods he's used to raise funds for charities such as the Cancer Association and People Opposing Women Abuse. Fresh is also well known for various compilation and house mix-albums.
