RADIO LEGENDS HIT AIRWAVES

MBABANE – EBIS and ESCCOM yesterday celebrated the World Radio Day in style by hosting radio legends.

On the day, the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) and the Eswatini Communication Commission (ESCCOM) brought together former broadcasters, such as Rogers Mamba, Qedusizi Enock Ndlovu, Sigayoyo Magongo, Lindiwe ‘Yellow Rose’ Mavuso, Percy Simelane, and Marwick Khumalo, among others. The legends were engaged in a live broadcast from 8am untill late in the afternoon. Ndlovu, who is now a commercial farmer, having previously served as Member of Parliament, started working at the station from 1983 until 2009.

Yesterday, he hosted the popular Letishisako programme between 7:15am to 8am, where he interviewed the likes of Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, Minister of Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka and Director of Meteorological Services Dudu Nhlengetfwa. In a later interview with the Times of Eswatini, he said life after retirement from radio had not been easy and spoke of how he missed the interaction with listeners. “It is not easy to stay at home after spending so many years working on national radio. One day you will understand what I am talking about,” Ndlovu. Ndlovu survived death during COVID-19 era, after he was attacked by a certain illness. He said in those days, people came to his homestead to mourn his presumed death. According to the legend, the false news of his demise was circulated on social media. “It is true that I spent four days in hospital. I was then discharged and went back home to look after my livestock. Those who thought I was dead were speechless. Ngalila kanyenabo ngekufa kwami,” he laughed.

Relevant 

‘Yellow Rose’ pleaded with all EBIS staff to take advantage of the social media space if they wanted to be relevant with trends of the the 21st century. “Failure to capatilise on the social media space will make radio irrelevant. The station must have Facebook account X and Intagram for easy interaction with listeners,” said Mavuso. Also, Magongo said radio still remained a powerful medium of communication in the current days. He said most people relied on radio for information and entertainment. 

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