Six shortlisted for DJ Saba job

The SABC has shortlisted six candidates to fill the gap left by revered traditional music DJ Saba Mbixane, who died in February after a motorbike crash.

The hopefuls were selected from a pool of almost 130 broadcasters working in various community radio stations across the Eastern Cape.

There were two candidates each from Mount Ayliff-based Alfred Nzo Community Radio and Mthatha-based Unitra Community Radio. The remaining candidates were drawn from radio stations in Stutterheim and Cape Town.

The selections were done by an eight-member panel of experts in the broadcasting industry.

Umhlobo Wenene FM’s station manager Phumzile Mnci said the successful broadcaster would be chosen by Mbixane’s more than two million listeners following guest presenter slots in coming weeks on two popular traditional music shows – Lavuthi’Bhayi and Siweli Thukela.

At the time of Saba’s death, the Xhosa language radio station said that finding a replacement for the multi-award winning veteran of the airwaves would be a huge task.

Mnci said the station had decided to give listeners the final say in the selection of a replacement.

“This person is going to be chosen by the listeners, not by us. We want to involve the listeners in choosing their favourite presenter because they are the No1 stakeholders.

“After six weeks, listeners would have made up their minds and then we will open up the voting process,” Mnci said.

The six candidates have been identified as Monwabisi Bangi and Sindile Majikija from Unitra Community Radio, current breakfast show presenter Wendy Nogwaba and ex-presenter Lumkile “MaLeven” from Alfred Nzo Community Radio, Mphumzi Ndzuzo from a Stutterheim-based community radio station and Nthabeleng from Zibonele FM in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.