Jozi FM chairperson Rapitse Montsho has been arrested and charged with fraud and theft linked to R34.8 (US$2,053,200) million in National Lottery Commission (NLC) grants. He appeared in the Orlando Magistrate’s Court and was later released on R10,000 bail due to age and ill health.

The case stems from allegations that multimillion-rand grants meant to fund a long-delayed multimedia center at the Jabulani Soweto Theatre Precinct were never accounted for. Jozi FM management laid the initial complaint, prompting police to open a case in May before transferring it to the Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit.

According to NLC annual reports, the funds were paid to the Soweto Media Resources Centre between 2013 and 2015. Montsho previously claimed the center acted only as a conduit for a separate organization, Legacy, which he says used the funds for a documentary project titled Freedom Was Not Free.

Montsho has not yet entered a plea. His bail conditions bar him from contacting witnesses and restrict his movement to the Soweto area, except for legal consultations. He must report to Protea Glen SAPS on weekdays. The case has been postponed to 20 January 2026 for further investigation.

His attorney says they have not yet seen the full contents of the docket.