AVID listeners of various radio stations all over
Zimbabwe idolise and revere the young crop of
presenters that have since emerged and have been
under the spotlight since the mid-2000s.
For many, the likes of KGV, Phathisani and Delani
Makhalima just to mention a few are a formidable
force to reckon with but renowned radio personality,
Ezra Tshisa Sibanda does not share the same
sentiments.
The outspoken social media fanatic has condemned
some radio presenters, arguing that their
performance on radio is not up to standard.
“The problem is I am a very busy man and I don’t
get time to listen to all radio stations. The few DJs I
have listened to are shockingly pathetic yet some
are good. The problem is they lack originality, no
creativity and no real identity of who they are.
They imitate and one can tell they want to be
someone else,” said Sibanda.

Further expressing himself, not bound by anything he
sets focus on the radio stations themselves,
highlighting that they sounded the same. With his
vast experience in radio, he has this to say.
Stopping at nothing, he went on to strike a
comparison between the radio presenters that
rocked the stations decades ago and those of today,
whose case is perhaps that of paper fire.

“You ask yourself, we left radio in 2002 but 16 years
down the line people still remember us, they still
remember Brenda Moyo, Peter Johns, Eric Knight,
James Maridadi, Englam Nyathi etc because we
were broadcasters. We took our job seriously and
each one of us was clear of what was expected of
them as radio personalities and we created our own
identity.

We were passionate and we are still
embedded in most people’s hearts, look at how
many presenters have been on radio since we were
made redundant but listeners have forgotten them
yet they still remember Ezra Tshisa Sibanda,” said
Sibanda.

To buttress his views on radio and the presenters of
nowadays, he had this to say: “Most of these
presenters lack proper training and I wonder if some
of them were really auditioned or were just thrown
behind the microphone. If I am in Bulawayo I listen
to Babongile Sikhonjwa and Possenti they sound
different from the lot and they are themselves. There
are other youngsters who have potential. All I can
say is that some of these radio presenters should
stop trying to sound foreign. They should not suffer
from an inferiority complex,” he said.
For his word to be heard across the nation, he still
has not lost hope in applying for a radio licence.
“I applied for a radio licence two times, a national
commercial and Bulawayo.

I was denied both times.
It’s so painful because
I am a simple radio personality who loves his job
and wanted to give people an example of a
professionally run radio station which will connect
with the people. I still need a radio station and I
know I can do better for our listeners. There can be
many radio stations but listeners can tell the
difference between a real radio station and a
wannabe.

I hope the new dispensation will open up
airwaves. Let’s have competition and the best will
always take over the listening audience.”
Sibanda is currently based in the United Kingdom
and is still on radio.

He is the brand ambassador of a fast growing
company Senditoo which deals with airtime where
people from abroad can buy and top-up airtime for
their relatives all over the world. He is also the brand
ambassador of Cassava Remit a UK-based
subsidiary company of Econet where people can
now buy goods and services for their loved ones in
Zimbabwe.

People can also send money through
EcoCash from UK to Zimbabwe.

Back home he is involved in charitable work under
the Ezra Tshisa initiative which deals with education
and well-being of children who come from poor
backgrounds. His initiative is currently sponsoring
children around Matabeleland and Midlands with
school fees and uniforms. Some of the sponsored
children have completed their degree programmes at
local universities- Sunday Times