Primedia Broadcasting has announced in a statement that Redi Tlhabi will be leaving 702 to pursue an “exciting new direction in her journey”.
Tlhabi has been offered a fellowship in the United States in 2018 meaning she needs to step off of her daily afternoon drive show on the talk station. In the statement Primedia said, “it will be an opportunity for her to broaden her broadcast knowledge and expertise”.
Before she departs to the US, Tlhabi will be focusing her energy and time on working with various local and international stakeholders to devise and launch a campaign against sexual violence.
Speaking on the departure, 702 station manager Thabisile Mbete says, “We admire and respect her for her choices and wish her the very best with this new chapter.” She adds, “The good news is that Redi will continue to contribute to Primedia for the foreseeable future, even after she stops doing her regular show. We will continue to work with her as opportunities arise, particularly around social justice issues.”
Commenting on her departure, Tlhabi says it is with a heavy heart that she will be stepping down from her show, “I am attached and dedicated to Primedia, which has been my home for 12 years. In my travels and endeavours, I will keep this amazing place close to my heart. Primedia and 702 in particular have played a crucial role in the evolution of our democracy and consistently given a voice to the voiceless. The commitment to the country and exercise of independent, hard-hitting but fair journalism make me very proud to have been a part of this great institution.”
No date has yet been finalised for Tlhabi’s departure, nor a replacement announced, but Primedia says she will remain on air for the next few months, which will give the station an opportunity to find a suitable successor who will be announced in due course.
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