Kaya FM Rebukes Unathi Nkayi Silencing Claims After Axed Jock Opens Up: 'Untrue'

• Unathi Nkayi has broken her silence around the events that saw her exiting the airwaves more than a week ago
• Kaya had said in a statement that Unathi's conduct rendered the relationship with the station intolerable
• In a long-winded video on Instagram, Nkayi has now claimed to have been silenced by the radio station
• Kaya, in an interview with an external publication, denied that the station had ever silenced Nkayi's voice

Kaya 959 former radio host Unathi Nkayi has spoken out for the first time on Friday following her unexpected exit from the commercial radio station more than a week ago.

At the time of her sensational axing from her Midday Joy show, Kaya explained in a statement released shortly afterwards that it had been due to certain conduct that rendered the relationship between her and the station intolerable.

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Moreover, the station claimed the Idols SA judge's then-conduct ensured a breakdown of trust between the two parties, according to a TimesLIVE report.

Having remained mum on the matter since the dramatic turn of events, Nkayi took to her Instagram, where she, on Friday, posted a video addressing the claims via a written statement.

"I've been silenced. I received a letter that states that I can't speak on the matter publicly due to the contractual agreements we all have as freelancers. I was told [in no uncertain terms] that I can't use my platform to air my version of events," Nkayi said.

However, Nkayi continued by saying she would specifically address the gender-based violence (GBV) theme surrounding the controversy. Here, she refuted ever accusing then-fellow radio host Sizwe Dhlomo of perpetrating GBV against her.

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"I'll address the notion of GBV that keeps being thrown around. Sizwe had made reference to GBV in one of his posts about me, but GBV had nothing to do with the matter. I never alleged that he committed an act of GBV against me," added Nkayi.

“But when Sizwe's remarks led people to making the assumption that I accused him falsely of perpetuating GBV, and neither Sizwe nor Kaya does anything about the narrative, I'm compelled to speak up. We've [since] both submitted allegations against each other.”

Kaya rubbishes Nkayi silencing claims

But commenting on the matter in an interview with News24, Kaya spokesperson Ian Bredenkamp exempted the station from ever silencing Nkayi's voice.

"Kaya 959 is concerned about the unfortunate statement made in a video posted on social media, where she claims to have been silenced by the station," Bredenkamp said.

"Kaya 959 notes and respects the right to freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution and, for that reason, will not in any way attempt to restrict it for anyone."

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Unathi no longer to host 2021 GQ Awards

In recent related news, Briefly News reported that Nkayi would no longer headline the 2021 GQ Man of the Year Awards after she was reportedly dropped as host on Tuesday.

The announcement, which has since been confirmed by GQ, comes just days before the staging of the ceremony at Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg.

TimesLIVE reported the decision to snub the entertainer was unclear. However, there has been widespread speculation on social media that the decision was linked to her dismissal from Kaya FM.

While a new host has not yet been announced, GQ would not confirm if this was indeed the reason to part ways with Nkayi, according to News24.

Source: Briefly News