F
IRST there was Gareth Cliff
who was suspended from
5FM after interviewing
“Jesus”. Then DJ Sbu was sent
packing from Metro FM for
promoting his energy drink
at the Metro FM Music
Awards.
And who can forget Phat Joe being
axed from Radio 2000 for making homo-
phobic comments?
South Africa has no shortage of jocks
being kicked off air, but until recently DJ
Fresh has largely toed the line. Then the
popular radio personality found himself
under fire for using foul language on air
and his future in radio became the talk
of the town after he was suspended from
Metro FM.
But Fresh (47), fed up with the drawn-
outdisciplinary procedure, decided to
cross over to 947 where he now does
the afternoon drive show.
It’s the first time he’s been in hot
water at work, he says, but it’s not
the f irst time he’s said something out
ofline. “I have, at times, put both feet
in my mouth, but it comes with the
territory,” Fresh tells us.
“Sometimes people buy into
your personality and if people
love [someone known] for push-
ing boundaries, then that’s usually
the reason they may love me.
“But generally I don’t misbehave.
“As a talent or a creative you tend to
push boundaries that management
doesn’t often understand,” he continues.
“Noteveryone can manage talent.”
He’snot one to harbour grudges but
Freshfeels Metro FM didn’t handle the
matter well. He was suspended for say-
ing“msunery”, an adaptation of the
Zuluprofanity used to refer to female
genitalia. He’s disappointed he was taken
offair “without a salary over one silly
word”, as he puts it.
“Metro FM dragged something that
could have been resolved in less than a
week, just to try to prove a point,” he says.
“If I was wrong, I didn’t mind dealing
with the consequences. But I feel the
consequences became too much.
“They were unhappy with the word I
used. If I needed to apologise, I should’ve
been given a slap on the hand and then
we move on. But it dragged on and they
lied, saying I didn’t want to apologise,
and then only for the BCCSA [Broadcast-
ing Complaints Commission of SA] to
come back and say that the word doesn’tCHANGING
GEARS
DJ Fresh talks about moving on from
Metro FM and giving people hope with
his new show on 947
BY QHAMA DAYILE PICTURE: SHARON SERETLO