Ukhozi FM General Manager and acting SABC provincial general manager in KZN Bonga Mpanza, has resigned from the SABC. Image: Isolezwe.

UKhozi FM station manager Bonga Mpanza has resigned unexpectedly from the SABC, where he was serving as acting provincial general manager for the public broadcaster in KZN.

Mpanza tendered his resignation on Friday for reasons that are yet to be revealed. It is alleged that his resignation follows an internal forensic investigation by the SABC, in which he was implicated in wrongdoing. However, Mpanza denied these allegations, claiming that his decision to resign was due to the conditions under which he worked and also for the sake of the safety of his family.

According to Isolezwe Newspaper, the news of Mpanza’s resignation was met with joy by some listeners of uKhozi FM, who did not agree with some of the decisions and changes he made at the station. Some listeners still blame him for the sacking of Linda “Mr Magic” Sibiya in 2014. Sibiya’s contract was terminated abruptly after he was accused of defrauding fashion giant Edcon. After being fired, with two years of his contract still remaining, Mr Magic vowed to fight back, saying he was dismissed unfairly. Last year, at the end of September, his case against Edcon was dropped due to lack of evidence linking him to fraud. It was then reported that his lawyers were in talks with the SABC to discuss a way forward. Some of his fans advised Sibiya to sue the SABC. It is unclear if this is one of the things that led to Mpanza’s resignation.

Mpanza joined uKhozi FM in 2008, where he worked as a Sales Manager. In 2010, he was appointed as the station’s General Manager following the retirement of Bhodloza Welcome Nzimande (Dr). Although some of Mpanza’s decisions were criticised, uKhozi FM’s listenership continued to grow under his management. The station, which is the largest in the country, with over 7.5 million listeners, is currently under the leadership of acting General Manager Sbongi Ngcobo, who joined Ukhozi FM in 2017 as a Marketing Manager.