Lesedi FM presenter Matshokgo Mahloko accused of falling asleep on air after dead air hits overnight show
Lesedi FM presenter Matshokgo Mahloko faces claims of falling asleep on air after dead silence hit the station’s overnight show.
In the early hours of Sunday, 2 August 2026, listeners tuned into Lesedi FM’s Dikalaneng Weekend programme were met with prolonged dead air instead of the expected live broadcast. The silence persisted until the station’s automated backup music system eventually kicked in.
An insider claimed that popular presenter Matshokgo Mahloko had fallen asleep in the Bloemfontein studio during the graveyard-shift slot, though the allegation could not be independently verified. Security guards at the studio noticed the extended quiet and alerted the station’s business and programmes managers.
The disruption left management dealing with both public embarrassment and the commercial fallout of scheduled paid advertisements that were reportedly not aired.
SABC spokesperson Mmoni Ngubane confirmed that a broadcast interruption had occurred and apologised to listeners, but declined to discuss any internal staff matters. Mahloko denied knowledge of any problem, saying his show ran without glitches and that he intended to clarify the situation with management.
The incident has fuelled online chatter among listeners, with some joking about a “mic drop or nap stop,” while others expressed frustration at the sudden silence on one of the SABC’s Sesotho-language stations.