“They fired me.” With those three blunt words shared on X (formerly Twitter), radio personality Sol Phenduka confirmed that his time at Kaya 959 has come to an end.
Phenduka was fired on Monday. Source: Kaya FM.
The station announced on 1 September 2025 that Phenduka’s contract had been terminated following an internal review into continued misogynistic remarks made earlier this year on Podcast and Chill with MacG. Phenduka was the co-host of #SizTheWorld breakfast show with Sizwe Dhlomo.
Acting managing executive Dave Tiltmann said in a statement: “Kaya 959 cannot and will not condone comments made on the MacG Vodcast, where Sol Phenduka is an integral part of the presenting team. Misogynistic remarks made about actress Minnie Dlamini were unacceptable and inconsistent with respect owed to women. As a content provider of our flagship breakfast show, his alignment with comments made on the vodcast, does not reflect who we are as a station, nor what our listeners expect of us.”
Dlamini has since launched a R2.5 million lawsuit against the podcast and its hosts for hate speech, harassment, and unfair discrimination.
From suspension to dismissal
Kaya 959 first suspended Phenduka in August while investigating the matter. Tiltmann later confirmed that the station could not condone his behaviour, especially since Phenduka had already given a written assurance in 2023 that such conduct would not happen again.
Tiltmann said the incident was a serious breach of his contract, especially since he had previously assured the station in June 2023 that it would not happen again, apologised, and committed to upholding the station’s standards.
“Trust, integrity, accountability, respect, and inclusivity are the foundations of Kaya 959,” Tiltmann said. “When conduct falls short, we act decisively.”
Colleagues react
Fellow broadcaster and former co-host Sizwe Dhlomo expressed regret over the decision but acknowledged the circumstances:
“He brought a lot of value. It was also just good to work with him. Really unfortunate chain of events.”
