Verbal abuse allegations & threats! Why Unathi Nkayi got fired at Kaya

AFTER having left her fans shocked when she was abruptly fired from Kaya 959 earlier this week, the truth behind radio personality Unathi Nkayi’s dismissal has emerged.

Kaya issued a statement confirming Nkayi’s dismissal. It said “certain incidents had occurred, which resulted in the breakdown of trust between the two parties”.

“Nkayi’s contract has ended prematurely due to certain conduct that rendered the relationship intolerable going forward. Kaya 959 can confirm that certain incidents had occurred, which resulted in the breakdown of trust between the two parties. The business can further confirm that due process was followed and the decision was therefore made to part ways with Ms Nkayi,” read the statement.

A source told TshisaLIVE that the “certain incidents” cited in the statement referred to Nkayi having accused former friend and Kaya Drive host Sizwe Dhlomo of verbal abuse.

A City Press report corroborated the verbal abuse incident. Sources told the publication that a heated argument between Nkayi and Dlomo a few weeks ago ignited the chain of events that led to Nkayi eventually losing her job.

Nkayi apparently laid a formal complaint with the station’s HR department, accusing Dlomo of being unprofessional and verbally abusing her after he was late for his show.

As expressed in the statement by Kaya, both parties were called to account and answer to the allegations levelled against them.

Nkayi backed up his version of events with audio and screenshots.

“The station would prefer not to be drawn into a debate around the details of what transpired, in the interest of both parties. Save to state that Ms Nkayi’s version of events has been carefully considered and unfortunately found wanting.”

It remains unknown what caused the breakdown of Nkayi and Dlomo’s friendship, as the pair have been friends for years.

TshisaLIVE reached out to Nkayi and Dlomo for comment, but they had not responded at the time of publishing this article. Kaya opted to stick to the initial statement they issued.

However, Sizwe took to Twitter with a brief statement yesterday.

“I’d just like to state that in the context of GBV [genderbased violence] in our country & even on the backdrop of Kaya’s history as an organisation, a false abuse claim is not only malicious to those it’s levelled against but it also delegitimises the claims of thousands of victims whose cases fall apart because of lack of evidence. Such an egregious lie is a highly irresponsible thing to do!” wrote Dlomo.

Nkayi had been with the station for less than two years and hosted Midday Joy from noon to 3pm. A permanent replacement for Nkayi has yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, people on the net have been offering up their own “suitable replacement” options on Twitter. Award-winning radio presenter Andy Maqondwana was mentioned a few times as the right person for the slot.

Former Metro FM radio presenter Pearl Modiadie has also been inundated with tweeps calling her the next Midday Joy presenter.