BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Lobamba Lomdzala Member of Parliament (MP) Marwick Khumalo has today taken listeners of the SiSwati Channel of Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) back to the times when he was still one of the revered radio personalities the country has ever produced.
Khumalo graced the EBIS 1 radio airwaves from 8am up until 10am. This was in commemoration of the World Radio Day, which was made possible by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
This year is a centenary celebration of radio as a medium that educates, informs and entertains. In order for the World Radio Day to be celebrated, EBIS, the oldest broadcasting organisation in the country, found it relevant that it brings back the renowned radio personalities of yesteryears to grace its airwaves and remind its listeners of what used to happen many years ago.
Khumalo took to the airwaves after another veteran Journalist, Enock Qedusizi Ndlovu, who had been in charge of a current affairs programme known as Letishisako, a programme he started back in 2005 with Senzo Malaza, another well-known former radio personality.
At about 9am today, Khumalo was found playing a song by a renowned Mosotho Pop Musician Tsepo Tshola, which was titled ‘Ho Lokile’. At that time, he was going to allow the Morning Prayer Service, which airs from 9am to 9:15. Khumalo was in studio with EBIS’ long-serving radio personality Moses ‘Mthetho Ka Mose’ Matsebula.
Matsebula was there to ensure that the Khumalo’s session went smooth because many things had changed. During Khumalo’s time, the analog system of broadcasting was used and that was how listeners were reached, as radio was the main broadcast vehicles. There were no other vehicles such as the Internet.
Now, broadcasting has changed and Matsebula was seen guiding him on how things were done and the session went well. Khumalo has a short interaction with Matsebula and he told him that he loved radio because he believed he was born for it. He told him that he wanted to retire as a radio personality. Khumalo said he deviated from broadcasting because he had been enticed by politics.
Khumalo joined the broadcast journalism profession at the age of 19 and that was around 1984. Khumalo quickly became a Parliament correspondent, where he reported from there for about 11 years, before becoming an MP in 1998. He had been an MP since then, representing Lobamba Constiteuncy for 10 years, before changing camps and representing Lobamba Lomdzala from 2008. He has been Lobamba Lomdzala MP up until now.
The seasoned politician has worked with the likes of Charles S’gayoyo Magongo, Joseph Dlamini, Dumisa ‘Ndumandumane’ Dlamini, Lindiwe ‘Yellow Rose’ Mavuso, Percy ‘Luma Nyoka’ Simelane, the late Bongani ‘Sigcokosiyancinca’ Dlamini, the late Edward Bonginkosi Mtsetfwa (who was known as ‘Eddie Moros’), the late Ray Siboniso Dlamini (known as Ray Boom Boom) among others.
When Khumalo was about to go, he had an interview with UN Eswatini Communications Manager Sibusiso Mngadi, who was talking about the importance of radio. He also met some of his former colleagues in the likes of Magongo, Joseph Dlamini, and Mavuso. He shared a lighter story on how he woke up Mtsetfwa when he was supposed to report for duty.
He said at about 11am, he was about to leave and make sure that Mtsetfwa was already in studio. However, that was not to be, as Mtsetfwa was asleep in his place of abode, which was not far from EBIS. Khumalo had to play a song Mtsetfwa used to play when he started his session in studio. The song played for nine minutes and as it played, Mtsetfwa’s children woke him up and told him that his song was being played on radio. He woke up and rushed to studio and found the song still being played. That was when Khumalo left, as broadcasters were not allowed to leave studio with no one.
World Radio Day was proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as a UN International Day.
