By Lerato Matheka
MASERU — Ultimate FM has sacked breakfast show presenter Miss P for misconduct.
Born Pearl Ocansey, the 32-year-old DJ was one of the first presenters to be employed by the youth radio station when it was established in 2006.
She had spent the previous year in the employ of Ultimate FM’s sister station Radio Lesotho.
Both are state-owned radio stations.
However, it has emerged during her service with Ultimate FM, Miss P had on several occasions been suspended for misconduct and insubordination.
A source from the station’s management yesterday confirmed the dismissal of Miss P.
According to the source the management decided they had had enough of the presenter after she failed to pitch up for work on November 8.
“Pearl has been a problem for quite sometime now and she had overstepped the mark when merely two months after she returned from her three-month suspension she failed to open the station for her breakfast show,” the source revealed.
The decision to sack Miss P was reached at her disciplinary hearing on November 18, according to sources.
One source said Miss P’s “never mind” attitude during the disciplinary hearing had angered the radio station’s management.
She is said to have failed to defend her behaviour.
Miss P was by yesterday still to receive her dismissal letter.
Before that could happen, the presenter yesterday handed in her resignation letter.
But when the Weekender later contacted her for comment, Miss P was already considering retracting her resignation.
She said she wanted another chance.
“I hate disappointing Ultimate listeners and while my case is being heard, I would love to be put back on air,” Miss P said.
“I mean nothing is yet formalised. I can still withdraw the letter if I am given a second chance.”
But her chances of getting another reprieve are very slim, according to sources who say Miss P has a “dirty” disciplinary file.
Yesterday Miss P said she had genuine reasons for failing to report for her slot on November 8.
“I didn’t report for work that Monday because I had lost my voice from a hectic live broadcasting at Pioneer and because Ntate Manyokole (Ultimate Director) was not available I told our caretaker, Mankonelo, that I would not be able to report for work as I had lost my voice,” she told the Weekender.
“True, I failed to report to the office later that day but I figured I would talk to Ntate Manyokole the next day when feeling better but when I returned I was called for a disciplinary hearing.
“I then decided to file the resignation letter because I was under pressure, but it can be reversed.”
Before joining radio Lesotho and later Ultimate FM, Miss P had her first taste of the airwaves at Joy FM.
