By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Not many people know that Ukhozifm sport commentator Themba Pondo once struggled to speak isiZulu, his home language.
Few people know that Pondo’s inability to speak isiZulu at the time had to do with him having started primary school in Gugulethu, Cape Town, more three decades ago.
Apartheid laws forced a then young Pondo and his twin sister to leave their Alexandra, Johannesburg, home to go stay with their grandmother in Gugulethu.
“We moved with our mother to Alexandra township from KwaMaphumulo in 1984. That was after our parents separated,” Pondo revealed.
“Because of apartheid laws, my mother couldn’t stay with us at the hostel and we had to move from Johannesburg to Cape Town where we stayed with my grandmother. My twin sister and l had to adapt and learn to speak isiXhosa, which happens to be my mom’s home language.”
It was only after the release of the late Nelson Mandela in 1990 that Pondo and his sister were reunited with their mother in Alexandra. But they didn’t stay long in Alexandra as they returned to KwaMaphumulo in 1993.
“Learning to speak isiZulu again became a challenge when we returned to KwaMaphumulo,” Pondo said.
It was while he was staying in KwaMaphumulo that Pondo developed an interest in broadcasting after listening to Radio Zulu (now Ukhozifm) presenters like the late Bongani ‘Kansas City’ Mchunu, Dudu Khoza, Mandla Malakoane, the late Sjula Mnisi and Joe Hudla, who later became his boss at Ukhozifm.
“My love for broadcasting was ignited by listening to the radio at home. Remember, we didn’t have television at the time. Radio was our only source of information,” Pondo said.
A few years after resettling in KwaMaphumulo, Pondo had to leave again and return to Alexandra where he passed his matric.
It was also in Alexandra where he got his break on radio presenting the Alex FM breakfast show. He spent four years as a breakfast show host before moving to Jozi FM where he presented the afternoon drive for a year.
With South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, it became time for Pondo to move to a bigger stage.
He heard that Ukhozifm was looking for a commentator and he tried his luck. He has soldiered on since.
“I sent a five minutes demo doing mock commentary. I got lucky and Joe Hudla gave me a contract after listening to my demo,” Pondo remembered.
“I have done rugby, cricket and soccer commentary for Ukhozifm since 2010.”
Apart from being a sport commentator and a rigger, Pondo is also a family man. He is married to Thokozile and they have four kids – Thembalethu, Thandolwethu, Themba Junior and Thandokuhle.
“Since commentating is not a full-time job, I work as a rigger ropesman at Sibanye Gold Mines in Carletonville,” he said.
“Doing commentary is a nice job because I do what I love. I have travelled to all the nine provinces in South Africa since I became a commentator. I have also travelled to countries like Sudan, Botswana and eSwatini.”
Despite working on many sport productions, Pondo still regards doing his first Soweto derby as a highlight of his career.
“The highlight of my career was when I was doing the Soweto derby for the first time. It was the first Black Label Cup,” he said.
Pondo, who turns 41 on Thursday, 9 September, dreams of opening an academy where he will pass his knowledge to the youth.
“One day I want to open an academy or introduce commentary at schools and teach young ones the secrets of the trade,” he said.
