Siyaya TV's new Moja Love channel on DStv hopes to lure female viewers with love and relationship programming.

The new Moja Love channel aimed at a black female viewership is starting today, on Valentine's Day at 17:30 with little fanfare on MultiChoice's DStv on channel 157, hoping to make inroads in a highly competitive TV landscape where competitors like Lifetime and Discovery Networks' TLC already exist.

With the obligatory local telenovela - every channel now starts one of these serialised staples - and a flurry of talk show and self help programmes loosely modeled on popular American daytime TV formats, Moja Love, produced and packaged by Siyaya TV, will predominantly focus on women's issues and relationships.

"Moja" meaning good or alright, is packaged for MultiChoice by Siyaya TV that got a pay-TV licence from the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) but failed to start it's own service, just like eSat that ended up producing eNCA for DStv.

Siyaya TV's Moja Love is made available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers and will run 24-hours per day with repeat blocks and have 22 shows including several new local productions.

New programmes will be broadcast between 17:00 and 22:30 daily on Moja Love with the rest of the late night and daytime schedule then consisting of repeats.

"For us at MultiChoice, it's important to offer our customers a range of different entertainment options and to provide a platform for local stories to be heard," says Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice.

"Moja is a slang word that means 'everything is good' and while love is a universal emotion, Moja Love shall explore love from the unique perspective of the modern South African woman using honest, reflective, hopeful and humorous storytelling," says Jacqui Setai, Moja Love channel head.

New programmes on Moja Love include a new local weekday talk show, similar to The Real in America as a panel discussion show with women talking about female issues. Show Me Love will have KG Moeketsi, Unathi Msengana, Abigail Visagie and Nontobeko Sibisi as part of the panel.

Show Me Love that has been commissioned for 260 episodes will be broadcast on Moja Love on weekdays at 17:30 with a repeat on weekday mornings at 08:00.

"These dynamic hosts meet daily to schwashwata on every topic that concerns women at one time or another. With no topic off limits, the show provides a safe place for women to air any issue, in the company of their sistas," says Moja Love.

The local telenovela Hope with 208 episodes stars Nimrod Nkosi, as Pastor Buthelezi, a well-meaning pastor of a small congregation who is about to go through challenges when a new church opens up across the street. Hope will show on weekdays at 19:00.

"It sets in motion a story of love, deceit and betrayal, which unravels in the exciting world of

churches. As brother is pit against father, church members hide dark secrets, and pastors compete

for the soul of the community, take comfort that there is always hope in a dark world," says Moja Love.

Papgeld on Saturdays at 18:30 is an investigative reality show about children and will track fathers, and in some cases mothers, who are not living up to their parental responsibilities,

A spin-off show Let’s Talk Papgeld, Saturdays at 19:00 will try to help viewers with tips and guidelines from a range of experts and service providers in the social services and child maintenance sector.

Judge Khambule on Saturdays at 18:00 is a sitcom set in a courtroom that features characters caught up in various legal issues. Judge Khambule is played by Thenjiwe Mosley.

Other shows on Moja Love include Highly Inappropriate with Phat Joe, a reality beauty makeover show Beat, the sex advice show Thrills with Dr T, presented by sexologist Dr Tlaleng on Wednesdays at 21:00, and Sofa Slahlane, with the presenter and veteran journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on Thursdays at 17:00.

Moja Love will also broadcast Sisters in Law, Food Police, Nairobi Diaries, Direct Flight, Amagugu, Curvy Girls and Nomakanji.

Former eNCA reporter Nontobeko Sibisi challenging her 'unfair' firing, case will be heard at CCMA on Tuesday.

The former eNCA (DStv 403) reporter Nontobeko Sibisi who was fired after she was found guilty of being dishonest and having compromised the TV news channel's editorial integrity over a free trip to the Cape Town Jazz Festival earlier this year is taking her alleged unfair dismissal fight to the CCMA.

TVwithThinus was first to report that eNCA fired Nontobeko Sibisi on 1 June after finding her guilty of journalistic lapses.

After she was fired in June, Nontobeko Sibisi will now be at the CCMA on Tuesday, 2 August in an alleged unfair dismissal case against eNCA with her lawyers, Haffegee, Roskam & Savage Attorneys challenging her dismissal on procedural and substantive grounds.

Nontobeko Sibisi was one of eNCA's youngest reporters and primarily focused on the entertainment and infotainment beat. eNCA took away her cellphone and she had to leave the building at the channel's Hyde Park headquarters.

Nontobeko Sibisi's axing came a year after eNCA was plunged into scandal after she lashed out eNCA's "self-censorship" in an open letter and said a story of hers about Africa Day was allegedly canned because she was wearing the traditional African head dress known as a "doek" which at the time was against eNCA's on-air policy.

eNCA said at the time the story was shelved because of other editorial problems with it but didn't specify what was wrong. The resulting bad publicity forced the eMedia Investments TV channel to relook its on-air news reporter appearance policy and also laid bare internal staff acrimony within eNCA ranks.

In a statement about Nontobeko Sibisi case that led to her firing two months ago, the journalist says her eNCA line-managers knew about the Cape Town Jazz Festival invitation and intended coverage a month prior to it happening and that she was only notified for the first time about concerns four days before the trip.

"Nontobeko Sibisi's actions were not inconsistent to any other approved free trip undertaken - her editors were well aware of her trips," says the statement.

"The company also pointed out concerns relating to indemnity forms filled out by Sibisi, alleging she 'promised' estimated content outcomes by signing indemnity forms stipulating that she will be 'producing inserts and live presence depending on resources' - this is now being viewed as signing away editorial independence, even though this was also discussed with managers, not mentioning the three line managers who all had access to the indemnity forms and trip details."

"Sibisi was accused of lying and misrepresenting company policy by saying to organisers the company has a rule of not sharing rooms with colleagues - the company dies this standard practice, saying its not explicitly written down as policy - as if to say sharing rooms with working professionals is regular practice, of which Sibisi has never been subjected to."

"It's further alleged, Sibisi omitted disclosing that a video editor had already been accredited himself for the trip - even though that video editor was given permission by his respective line manager, going so far as to amend his roster to make him available - why and how is that being overlooked?"

eNCA fires reporter Nontobeko Sibisi a year after 'doek' incident; TV news channel says her dismissal was not related to the 'doek' issue.

eNCA has fired reporter Nontobeko Sibisi but says it didn't show the journalist the door over the "doek" wearing saga exactly a year ago that plunged the South African TV news channel into scandal.

On Wednesday eNCA fired Nontobeko Sibisi, one of the channel's youngest reporters and primarily focusing on the entertainment and infotainment beat. eNCA took away her cellphone and she had to leave the building at the channel's Hyde Park headquarters.

While Nontobeko Sibisi was allegedly fired, according to insiders, for serious journalistic lapses, distraught eNCA staffers said Nontobeko Sibisi's firing "felt like retaliation".

Upset eNCA staff couldn't get hold of the reporter. "Where is she supposed to go? How will she provide for her family?" asked one.

Exactly a year ago Nontobeko Sibisi filed a story for eNCA, wearing the African head dress known as a "doek", which at the time was against eNCA's on-air policy.

eNCA said the story couldn't air because of editorial problems. Nontobeko Sibisi lashed out at eNCA's "self-censorship" in an open letter and said she was told that her story on Africa Day will not be broadcast and was dumped because she appears in it with a doek.

The instant controversy her open letter created, engulfed eNCA in a PR nightmare, with the resulting bad publicity that forced eMedia Investments TV channel to relook its on-air appearance policy and also laid bare internal staff acrimony within eNCA ranks.

After eNCA staffers told TVwithThinus that Nontobeko Sibisi was fired, eNCA confirmed it on Thursday in response to a media enquiry, saying the reporter was axed "following an extensive disciplinary process".

eNCA didn't want to say why Nontobeko Sibisi was fired, but according to insiders the journalist was found guilty of improper involvements that negatively impacted her editorial integrity and that of eNCA.

eNCA said that "Nontobeko Sibisi was summarily dismissed from eNCA on 31 May 2017. To respect company policy in matters of this nature we will not comment on the reasons for her dismissal. However we must make it clear that her dismissal is in no way linked to the "doek" issue from May 2016."

"This was resolved some months ago, with the adoption and implementation of a new progressive policy, developed with staff participation and agreement, including Nontobeko."

eNCA says the phone it took back from Nontobeko Sibisi was a company cellphone and that she left the building shortly afterwards.

Asked if she was paid for May, eNCA said "all dismissed employees are paid for the period that they work for the company. Given that Nontobeko was dismissed on 31 May 2017 she would have already been paid for May".

Nontobeko Sibisi couldn't be reached but on social media on Thursday cryptically wrote "I am officially unemployed and looking for radio and TV jobs, the talent and gift I have demands I still soar".

DOEK DRAMA: eNCA news director Mapi Nhlangu says discussions has started with staff over on-air doek ban; working towards showing 'progressive values'.

eNCA (DStv 403) has not covered its own "doek" wearing ban scandal as a story with any on-air report last week, opting to rather broadcast a recorded statement read out by eNCA news director Mapi Nhlangu.

eNCA yet again became the news instead of reporting it this year when reporter Nontobeko Sibisi lashed out at her employer in a letter, claiming her Africa Day story was canned because she wore a "doek" in it - a head scarf that's not allowed according to eNCA's on-air appearance code.

eNCA, available on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, said it has now started discussions with staff over the "doek" ban.

In a read-out, recorded and broadcast statement, Mapi Nhlangu says:

"We at eNCA are committed to continuing the necessary work towards effecting positive change, not only inside our organisation, but as a broadcaster in the light of South African society. When mistakes are made, we will look to fix them."

"The matter of our commitment to a fully democratic human rights centered order, especially inside the news industry, with its commitment to fairness and freedom of expression, lies in our ability to rise to this challenge."

"The issue of the doek is merely a symptom of a larger call for change in contemporary South Africa. This is not an issue that will be resolved by quick technical intervention."

"Consultative processes between employees and managers are underway dealing with this among many questions facing journalists and media professionals every day and we are working towards making sure South Africans see progressive values reflected in their broadcast news".

On Sunday, Fikile Masiko, convenor for the Young Women's Desk of the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) said on eNCA's doek drama: "We want e.tv to know this is not something that is an oppression or unprofessional for us. This is our crown".

EFF political party slams eNCA news channel on DStv over ban of the 'doek' as eNCA says its started 'an internal process' about on-air appearance policy.

The Economic Freedom Front (EFF) political party on Thursday slammed the eNCA (DStv 403) TV news channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform for its banning of female reporters wearing a "doek", as eNCA said it has started "an internal process" to relook its on-air appearance policy.

The doek drama exploded on Tuesday when eNCA reporter Nontobeko Sibisi in a scathing letter slammed her employer, alleging that an insert she did for Africa Day last Wednesday was canned because she appeared in it, wearing the head covering that's apparently not allowed.

eNCA has not been clear about whether this is the reason why Nontobeko Sibisi's story has been taken off air by a sub editor or whether its because something else was wrong with the story but the issue did ignite public comment - especially on Thursday from social media users.

In apparent solidarity with Nontobeko Sibisi, on Thursday eNCA anchor Iman Rappetti donned a red doek (not on air) while other eNCA reporters were seen in a doek selfie.

Meanwhile the EFF in a statement on Thursday said eNCA's banning of the doek is worse than the SABC's censorship of protest coverage on SABC News.

The EFF slammed eNCA for allegedly remaining "trapped in the colonial mode of aesthetic representation of black people" and that it's "a colonial anti-black racist denial of African aesthetic expression".

The EFF said that "eNCA is saying wearing a doek, which is a famous popular wear for African women, religious and otherwise, is not aesthetically befitting of television journalism. Thus, African women who choose to have the doek, must then feel incomplete or inferior for their aesthetic choices".

"eNCA must live with this fact and take the opportunity to transform even its aesthetic appearances to look like a television news program that is in Africa, by Africans and for Africans".

Prof. Anton Harber, editor-in-chief at eNCA says the news channel has "initiated an internal process to ensure our policy is in line with our corporate and national values, and that it embraces the diversity of our staff and audience."

"We look forward to a rich debate about how we do this, and are confident that it will enhance our news product".

BREAKING. eNCA staff unhappiness continues as reporter Nontobeko Sibisi slams eNCA for self-censorship after she's told her story's canned for wearing a 'doek'.

Ongoing staff unhappiness and resentment behind the scenes at eNCA (DStv 403) continue to make waves at the eMedia Investments 24-hour TV news channel where the arts and entertainment reporter Nontobeko Sibisi has lashed out at eNCA's self-censorship for canning her story in which she appears wearing an African head dress, also known as a "doek".

Nontobeko Sibisi, in a public letter to colleagues, lashed out at eNCA management, saying a sub editor told her that her story on Africa Day will not be broadcast and was dumped because she appears in it with a doek.

eNCA's shocking self-censoring ironically comes less than a week after eNCA's editor-in-chief Anton Harber slammed the SABC's decision to self-censor public protest coverage and said that people have a right to the full story. "We need to respect the intelligence of our audience and viewers," said Anton Harber.

Trend wise, Nontobeko Sibisi's letter interestingly comes, and continues, the new trend where news channel staff - some at eNCA over the past few months and several more occuring at Infinity Media's Gupta-owned ANN7 (DStv 405) - have berated their bosses over bad management decisions in letters that become public and damage the news channels' brands and reputations.

Nontobeko Sibisi's open letter is the latest in a string of incidents that's shedding a light on some of the persistent staff acrimony behind the scenes at eNCA where an ongoing atmosphere of unhappiness persists since eNCA's dramatic downsizing and staff exodus started just over a year ago.

In May Afrikaans reporters at eNCA for the eNuus service done for kykNET (DStv 144) resigned amidst claims of alleged bullying by a superior in the newsroom. Two are now going to return and the executive has been moved away with Freek Robinson taking over as acting head.

Over several years, and a continuing occurence on the channel, eNCA reporters have often embedded and made themselves part of the story - sometimes too much a part - with reporters who have appeared in a speedo while another even dangled and draped a snake around her.

With many more examples that exist in the eNCA video archives, Nontobeko Sibisi (known for her "Nonto Cam" stylistic add-on graphics in some of her filed stories) appearing with a head covering, had her story canned because her on-air look apparently went too far for eNCA bosses.

In February this year, a now fired eNCA technical director, also slammed eNCA and one of the allegations that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) made in Modise Morobane's case was that "black reporters are not allowed to wear 'doeks' or African head scarves on-air" at eNCA.

Nontobeko Sibisi slams eNCA for the "unjustifiable unjustice that happened to me in this [eNCA] newsroom", saying "because of 9 seconds of an about three minute piece I appear wearing a doek - the story was taken off air without my knowledge."

"I was informed of this decision by a sub editor in passing."

In the story Nontobeko Sibisi interviewed musicians from South Africa, Nigeria and Zimbabwe for Africa Day.

In the scathing letter Nontobeko Sibisi puts eNCA on public blast, slamming the news channel where she works for its alleged "lack of communication and the unprofessional channels taken" and as a place where wearing a head covering is "offensive enough to warrant a story being taken off air without any clear communicated justification".

"Some of us have been half naked on TV, in PJs, gowns, ballet tutu's, speedos, boxing gear, all fitting to a particular context – yet somehow a doek was offensive enough during a very significant and celebratory day and month in our continent," wrote Nontobeko Sibisi.

"There is unfairness, unprofessionalism, inconsistent application of the 'rules', an intentional lack of communication and and unjustifiable recourse."

"Personally this is one of the most shocking and gravely disappointing actions I've experienced at eNCA, during African celebrations - it's discomforting to watch happening in a country like ours, in an 'eFamily' newsroom, that 'encourages cultural diversity' ".

Nontobeko Sibisi said she found the incident "highly offensive" and wanted to "put it out there because this could happen to anyone and I genuinely believe we need all need to have serious, frank and open and transparent conversations".

 eNCA reporter Phakamile Hlubi who herself appeared with a snake once  said: "I'm appalled. This is completely unacceptable. eNCA's style guide is unAfrican and in my view unconstitutional. It needs to be rewritten".

"You can't tell me that in a country where respect for culture and religion is paramount in the constitution, an organisation can adopt a clothing policy that violates these rights".

TVwithThinus asked eNCA for comment late on Tuesday night.

Anton Harber, eNCA editor-in-chief says: "Having watched the insert, I have no problem with the headgear Nontobeko wore for her Africa Day piece".

"When I recently arrived at eNCA, one of the first things raised with me was a concern that our policy in this regard needed to be reviewed and updated".

"Our policy is a conventional television channel policy which discourages all kinds of headgear, including scarfs, alice bands, large ear-rings etc. It is clear that there are strong views on this among our staff and we have started a process to review the policy to embrace our country's diversity and the principles of our Constitution, and to give clarity on what is appropriate on air".

A challenging day for South African TV news crews battling violent protesters, rocks, police tear gas as #FeesMustFall movement reaches Union Buildings.

South African TV news crews, as well as newspaper journalist and radio reporters, were confronted by a challenging, difficult and extremely unpredictable day today, trying to cover, and to cover all the angles of the student fees protest which reached the Union Buildings today.

The fast-developing took a violent turn as the #FeesMustFall student protest turned the lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Friday into a "hot zone", filled with rocks and stones being thrown as well as other objects, journalists threatened by protesters, students burning porta-potties and police firing stun grenades and tear gas.

eNCA suffered damage due to vandalism including cable theft, while eNCA reporter Iman Rappetti and camera crew were pelted with rocks.

At least one SABC reporter got injured and was hurt in the chaos, while both newspaper journalists and radio reporters were threatened with physical assault.

Most South African TV news crews and broadcasters, in hindsight, didn't take adequate precautions entering the area and covering the student protests as an unpredictable, and therefore dangerous, news story.

The SABC's one outside broadcasting (OB) vehicle was warned to pack up and get out since it might be set alight by the thousands of protesters who went on a rampage and started burning tyres, breaking down the wire fence surrounding the Union Buildings, throwing rocks at media and police, and burning porta loos.

eNCA (DStv 403) anchor Iman Rappetti was hit with an object when at one point she suddenly found herself in the middle of rocks, stones and other objects being flung by protesters.

Later, Iman Rappetti, together with the eNCA crew, were subjected to some of the rounds of teargas fired by police on the Union Building grounds, after being pelted with rocks and stones.

An eNCA camera was also damaged by a rock, with a lens shattered. Although the cameraman was hit as well, he was uninjured as heavy-handed riot police once again moved in.

Earlier in the day eNCA cabling was also stolen and the vandalism also put an eNCA satellite van out of action.


"We gotta get out! We gotta get out!" said a panicked Iman Rappetti in a clip from the eNCA broadcast included in one of the stories filed by Sky News (DStv 403) when the eNCA crew suddenly came under attack at the Union Buildings.

"An object did hit Iman Rappetti in the face, but she was not injured and is fine," eNCA told TV with Thinus. "A rock also hit one of the camera lenses, damaging it and putting it out of action".

Reporters Bingiwe Khumalo and Nontobeko Sibisi also covered for eNCA in Pretoria, and Nickolaus Bauer followed events from inside the Union Buildings.

On SABC News (DStv 404), senior reporter Chriselda Lewis who did brilliant coverage on location on Friday, got her one live on-air interview interrupted and abandoned after protesters derailed it.


The SABC News reporters Sipho Stuurman and Tumaole Mohlaoli also covered the scene from Pretoria.

"It was absolute chaos. Absolute chaos," said a hoarse Christelda Lewis on SABC News on Friday evening back in studio at Auckland Park.

"Journalists were not free. Students were not free. Innocent bystanders, professors, lecturers who were there to sympathise with the cause, were absolutely not free".

"One of the SABC journalist's got hurt and at some point we were being thrown - I don't think it was directed at the journalists - but the teargas was all up in our faces," said Chriselda Lewis.

"We were unable to do our jobs. Absolute chaos at the end of the day."

A BBC cameraman was also injured by objects hurled by protesters on Friday.

CNN International's (DStv 401) David McKenzie was at the Union Buildings as well covering the unpredictable protest that escalated as the event progressed.