MBABANE – One of the renowned and seasoned news anchors to ever grace the country’s television screens, Vusi ‘Swebhu Lwabhuza’ Gamedze has passed on at the age of 64.
Gamedze, who worked for Eswatini TV (then Swazi TV) for 30 years, is said to have answered to the Lord’s call on Sunday. He was mostly renowned for his immaculate news reading skills along with a slogan he used to say after the end of each bulletin, ‘Nine beluswebhu swebhu swebhu lwabhuza!’ His sister, Lungile, confirmed her brother’s demise as she said Vusi suffered a stroke nine years ago, which resulted in him to be sickly until he passed on.
“His condition had deteriorated over the years after suffering a stroke nine years ago, which compelled him not to work. On the day he passed on, we were preparing to transport him to Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital in Siteki but he then died that very morning,” she said.
Joined
Before he joined the national broadcaster in 1984, Vusi was a news reporter for Times of Eswatini (1979-1980) and later joined Eswatini Observer, where he also worked from 1981-1982. He, however, went back to work for the Times of Eswatini the following year, which was when he migrated from print media to broadcasting from 1984 until he retired in 2014. Vusi joined Eswatini TV as a court reporter and he worked his way up the ranks until he was the news editor for the station.
At some point, he would form part of the prime minister’s delegation and broadcast from various parts of the world to keep the nation informed. Eswatini TV’s Senior Communications and Brand Officer Nomcebo Mbhamali said: “From us as an institution, we are deeply saddened on the passing of a colleague, icon and journalist who was loved by the country and beyond.
Vusi was someone who was loved by a lot of people as he had a great sense of humour, hard worker and became popular with the saying ‘Swebhu swebhu swebhu lwabhuza’. This became a household slogan for him as it made him popular. May his soul rest in peace and Eswatini TV will always remember him,” she said. Mbhamali added that Vusi was a professional to such an extent that he inspired a lot of newsreaders who, even to this day, looked up to him. Channel yemaSwati founder and Vusi’s former colleague, Qhawe Mamba said, he first knew Vusi when he joined Eswatini TV as a journalist around 1984.
He described the deceased as a very friendly colleague, who later became a friend. “When he came to Swazi TV, I helped him adapt into TV to a point where he later emulated my praise names as I would say Luswebhu Lwabhuza lolushaya bafokati nebafokatana, until he tailor made the slogan which then made him popular,” he said.
Mamba described Vusi as a people’s person who worked diligently with other people.
Healthy
Former Eswatini TV cameraman, who worked closely with Vusi alongside Sabelo Masuku, Oscar Mabusela, said he had a healthy working relationship with the late news anchor. He said at some point, Vusi was mentored by the late Mandla ‘Tiger’ Magagula and he worked his way up the ranks to later become a news editor for the station. Vusi’s funeral service will take place tomorrow at Egugu in Siteki, which will be preceded by a memorial service, which will be held at Dominion Centre of All Nations in Siteki at 11:30am. Vusi is survived by his three siblings, five children, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.