FatsoZ

OFF AIR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Following complaints and behind-the-scenes lobbying by a disgruntled presenter, someone I worked alongside at Radio 3 back in the day, @classic263 Radio management has decided to suspend my show The #PyjamaParty and other diaspora-based programmes for now. Firstly, I want to sincerely thank the Station Manager, Terry Mapurisana for the opportunity, the belief and the foresight to bring former Radio 3 broadcasters back onto the airwaves, even if only for 55 minutes once a week. He understood something others clearly did not, that listeners still value authenticity, experience and the familiar voices they grew up with. Sadly, that vision appears to have been undermined. What began as a passion project to reconnect with audiences and breathe fresh energy into radio somehow became a source of jealousy and discomfort for certain individuals behind the scenes. Ironically, the very programmes now being suspended contributed immensely to listener growth, online engagement and the station’s visibility, playing a significant role in Classic 263 Radio winning the Diaspora Online Radio Station of the Year 2025 award. Yet instead of celebrating the revival of listener interest and the return of appointment radio, some chose bitterness over unity. For the record, none of us were paid for these shows. We gave our time, our experience and our passion freely, purely for the love of broadcasting and the listeners who welcomed us back into their homes, cars and headphones every week. It is heartbreaking when opposition comes not from outsiders, but from within. To every listener who supported The #PyjamaParty and the other suspended programmes, thank you. Your support reminded us why we fell in love with radio in the first place. They may remove voices from the schedule. But they cannot erase what those voices meant to people. As always, my Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows will continue to be available on the Soul Shack Radio. YouTube and SoundCloud for those who miss the live broadcasts. Godo rine ka blaz kacho kane munhu pasi. – at North Benfleet, East