BREAKING NEWS: Thobela FM Presenter Clifford Mehala Suspended Over Questioning The Criteria Used on Limpopo Sports Awards

A popular sports presenter, Clifford Mehala, was suspended from his show Mabaleng A Dipapadi on Thobela FM after conducting a contentious interview with Limpopo MEC Jerry Maseko about the provincial sports awards. Mehala questioned the criteria used to crown certain winners, including an 83-year-old long-distance runner, Johannes Maros Mosehla, who was named Sport Star of the Year, and his own producer, Makgabo Nathaniel Kubyane, who won Sports Media Journalist of the Year for the third consecutive year.

The controversy arose after Mosehla's achievement at last year's Comrades Marathon, where he was the oldest finisher. Mehala's line of questioning reportedly didn't sit well with authorities, leading to his suspension last week. He returned to air this week, but sources say his contract might not be renewed.

SABC communications head Mmoni Ngubane confirmed Mehala was "unscheduled" due to an internal matter, citing a breach of the code of conduct requiring impartiality and fairness. "Thobela FM management can confirm that Mr Clifford Mehala is currently unscheduled due to an internal matter being addressed in line with SABC processes. As a matter of principle, the SABC, as a responsible employer, will not discuss human resources matters with the media," she said.

A source said, "Someone complained that Mehala's questions drove him into controversy he wasn't aware of." During a meeting, Mehala was told to adhere to the code of conduct. Attempts to get a comment from Mehala have been unsuccessful. His phone rang unanswered, and he did not respond to written enquiries about the matt