M-NET fires Blakofe

“First of all, we are not independent as a country, let’s call a spade a spade. By now we should have Kwame Nkrumah paraphernalia all over the place. I don’t care what anybody says, he was the greatest African that ever lived. All the kids should know his words and stuff he did for Africa but nobody seems to care about his contribution. They are rather spending millions of dollars on partying and accommodation for heads of state, when people are dying because of poor health care. All the times I’ve had kids, I’ve had to go to the UK to deliver because I don’t want to risk Korle-Bu. I’m putting out a call to all Ghanaian women to go to the airport and demonstrate against the presence of all those heads of state coming for the independence bash. I think it’s so disgusting; it’s like the government doesn’t care about the people. There aren’t enough schools and hospitals, we don’t have running water and we are having energy problems and all the government thinks about it celebrating independence”.

That was Blakofe, speaking in an interview with JIVE last November. Her employers, unfortunately, did not take kindly to her comments.

When she recently called South Africa to inquire about an upcoming shoot for Studio 53, the last thing she expected was to be told she wouldn’t be needed anymore. Then came the email from her immediate boss, confirming her dismissal from M-net. She still hasn’t gotten any formal letter stating she’s been sacked. In her own words, Blakofe says life goes on.

“If I was sacked for being a lousy presenter or for not doing my job then I would really hurt. But they fired me for something I believe in; which is fighting for Africa. Now M-Net, the so-called African satellite station does not want to hear me say things like that. Come on, we profile all the beautiful parts of the continent and the moment I say it’s disgusting for our government to spend so much money on celebrating I lose my job. They’ve just shown me that apartheid hasn’t ended. White South Africans own M-Net so the minute they notice someone who is radical and would open eyes -- they are like ‘let’s get rid of her’. I don’t belong to any political party and I don’t give a damn who is in charge, insofar as the people will be well taken care off. I don’t have an income now -- yes, but it is not going to take away how I feel about this anniversary. It’s Ghana@filthy not Ghana@50.

Anne Sackey, the PR manager for Multichoice Ghana stated the parent company’s position on the matter: “M-NET is very concerned about what its employees do while they remain at the company. Blakofe’s statements in the newspaper article did not in any way reflect the opinions of M-Net. She was apparently calling for people to demonstrate against the visiting heads of state. M-Net is not in the position to determine whether the government’s spending is wasteful or not. The Studio 53 contracts are renewed every year, either in March or April- I’m not sure but Blackofe’s wasn’t renewed. I’m sure she’ll get a letter informing her formally soon.”

Dstv subscribers have by now noticed Blakofe’s absence on Studio 53. Her five minute slot will be replaced and she will soon be forgotten -- at least that’s how it looks for now. But Blakofe says she’s happy.

“If this is the price I have to pay for speaking out against this insensitive government, then so be it. It happened to Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King. If it’s my destiny that I die for this cause -- then I’m ever ready”.