WeeklySA_AdminCRISIS: The battle for control of Jozi FM has moved from courtrooms and lawyers’ offices to the station itself, with acting CEO Collen Hans denied access to the broadcaster as rival leadership factions openly contest who has the legal authority to run the troubled Soweto community station…
By WSAM Reporter
The deepening leadership crisis at Jozi FM took another dramatic turn on Monday when interim acting chief executive Collen Hans was denied access to the community radio station, barely days after the purported dismissal of CEO Hector Mpho “Njomane” Mhlongo.
The Soweto Media Resource Centre (SMRC) board chaired by Rapitse Montsho said Hans, whom it regards as the duly authorised acting CEO, was prevented from entering the Jozi FM premises by an individual who apparently said he was representing management.
The board condemned the action as unlawful and claimed it contravened both an ICASA Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) directive and a court order governing the station.
The confrontation marks a significant escalation in a months-long struggle for control of one of Gauteng’s prominent community radio stations, with rival groups now not only disputing who constitutes the legitimate board but also who is entitled to exercise day-to-day executive authority.
The latest incident follows the announcement on October 2 by the Montsho-led board that it had terminated Mhlongo’s contract following disciplinary proceedings and appointed Hans to continue as interim acting CEO.
But Mhlongo and those supporting a rival board have rejected both decisions, setting the stage for Monday’s confrontation.
Board cries foul
In a statement following the lockout, the Montsho-led board said Hans was its only authorised acting CEO and accused Banda of having no authority to prevent him from entering the premises.
The board said it regarded the incident as an attempt to undermine its fiduciary authority, disrupt the station’s operations and defy regulatory and court processes.
It also warned that the dispute could potentially place Jozi FM’s broadcasting licence at risk.
The board declared that it would “not tolerate any interference with management and governance”. media statement1-1
The latest confrontation cannot, however, be separated from the competing claims to authority that have paralysed the broadcaster.
Mhlongo rejects dismissal
In another major development on Sunday, Mhlongo’s attorneys rejected the validity of his dismissal and challenged the authority of Montsho and his board to terminate his employment in the first place.
Collen Hans is the only Board-authorised Acting CEO… The Board will not tolerate any interference with management and governance
— SMRC/Jozi FM board
In a letter dated October 5, Dile Attorneys said it was acting for Mhlongo and described him as the CEO of SMRC trading as Jozi FM.
The attorneys rejected the October 2 announcement of his termination, describing it as a “so-called media statement” issued by Montsho, who they accused of merely purporting to act for the organisation.
Mhlongo’s lawyers contend that Montsho and the board previously chaired by him were removed as directors by members of the organisation on November 27, 2025.
They argue that neither Montsho nor that board consequently has the authority to act for the company, exercise directors’ powers, dismiss Mhlongo or appoint Hans as acting CEO.
The attorneys say a rival board chaired by Mbuyiseni Robert Mpungose, which they maintain was appointed at an elective annual general meeting on February 21, 2026, did not approve either Mhlongo’s dismissal or Hans’s appointment.
That board, according to the letter, “emphatically” continues to recognise Mhlongo as Jozi FM’s CEO.
His lawyers therefore contend that the purported termination is invalid from the outset and have demanded that Montsho desist from what they describe as harassment of their client. Mhlongo has reserved his rights to take further legal steps.
These assertions represent Mhlongo’s and his attorneys’ position in the continuing dispute and should not be read as independently established findings.
Lawyers themselves caught in dispute
The latest letter introduces another extraordinary dimension to the battle: the Montsho-led board has previously disputed whether Dile Attorneys has any mandate to represent SMRC itself.
In an August letter, the board said it had adopted a resolution repudiating what it described as Dile Attorneys’ “unauthorised legal representation”.
The Montsho-led board maintained that SMRC had never appointed the firm and instructed it to cease representing the organisation. The document was signed by Montsho, company secretary Carol Dyantyi and director Dr Thulani Mhlongo.
Dile Attorneys’ latest correspondence, however, states specifically that the firm acts on behalf of Hector Mpho Mhlongo, rather than purporting in that letter to represent SMRC.
From boardroom to station doors
The confrontation over Hans’s access illustrates how far the Jozi FM dispute has escalated.
What began as a contest over board composition has developed into overlapping disputes involving court orders, regulatory authority, disciplinary proceedings, contested legal representation, the dismissal of a CEO and now physical control over access to the station.
At the heart of virtually every development is the same unresolved question: who lawfully controls Jozi FM?
The Montsho faction maintains that it possesses the governance authority to manage SMRC, dismiss Mhlongo and install Hans as acting CEO.
The rival grouping disputes that authority, insists Montsho’s board was removed in November 2025 and maintains that the Mpungose-led board appointed in February is the legitimate governing structure.
The significance of that question extends beyond personalities.
Jozi FM broadcasts under a community radio licence and its governance arrangements, regulatory compliance and ability to maintain stable management are therefore central to its continued operation.
The Montsho-led board has now explicitly warned that interference with its governance and management could place the station’s broadcasting licence at risk. media statement1-1
With Hans allegedly unable to enter the station while Mhlongo’s dismissal is simultaneously being rejected, Jozi FM appears to have reached a point where two competing centres of authority are laying claim to the same broadcaster.
Unless the rival factions reach agreement — or the courts and regulators settle the competing claims decisively — the fight for Jozi FM appears far from over.
