Mbali Mlotshwa Gone from ANN7's Starbiz

In what has now become a fusillade of experienced talent deserting the Guptas' local 24-hour TV news channel, ANN7 (DStv 405, word is that DJ Blackcoffee's wife and prolific television personality Mbali Mlotshwa has also joined the fray and left the channel. 

No official word from ANN7 but I can confirm that the face and presenter of the weekly magazine programme Starbiz, will no loner be seen on the channel. According to her people, Mbali, handed in her resignation in December.

This follows the resignation of high profile talent at the channel such as Chantal Rutter-Dros, the most senior journalist at the station, had resigned and left on December 3, including award-winning journalist Asanda Magaqa who was reportedly escorted off the building late last year. 

Assignments editor Clinton Nagoor has reportedly also resigned, fueling many to wonder if the channel can still survive or hold any credibility without experienced names on it. 

 ANN7 launched in August 2013 with a rocky debut, as inexperienced presenters and technical staff made several mistakes on air.

The addition of experienced broadcast journalists like Magaqa, Rutter-Dros and Hajra Omarjee was aimed at adding credibility to the channel.

22 year old Tsholo Semenya has replaced Mbali. The relatively unknown Semenya was one of the three final finalist in the MTV Base VJ search competition.