Tributes for South African TV and radio presenter who ‘belonged to the nation’

Hundreds attended the memorial service for the late SABC presenter, Vuyo Mbuli, in Johannesburg yesterday. He died from an embolism in his lung, collapsing while he watched a rugby match last weekend, aged 46.

SABC2’s general manager, Bessie Tugwana, paid tribute to the anchor of the Morning Live TV programme: “Vuyo was a friend and a colleague, but most importantly Vuyo was a patriot who loved his country. He taught us at SABC2 to love South Africa.”

Tugwana added that seeing many people attend the memorial was evidence that Vuyo was able to touch South Africans in a way that a public broadcaster should, reported South Africa’s Independent Online.

Speakers at the memorial service described his death as a loss to the media world and South Africa as a whole.

“If there is any indication of the love this nation has for this man, this is it,” said Lulama Mokhobo, the chief executive at the SABC. “We thought, as the SABC, that Vuyo was ours, but he belonged to the nation.”

Vuyo started working for SAFM Radio in the early 90s as a pioneering black voice and later presented news and current affairs at the station. His funeral is on Friday.

Image: SABC