David Mothibi is a consummate scriptwriter and former broadcaster whose remarkable accomplishments in radio and television deserve to be widely known to the current generation of media practitioners than is presently the case.
He has achieved a largely unsung but unsurpassed legacy in broadcasting. The 80-year-old former radio announcer and founder of Radio Bop made his debut on the airwaves in 1965 when the SABC hired him as a presenter, translator and producer on the then Radio Tswana.
“All programmes, including news items and quiz shows, were written in Afrikaans. That’s why translating was an essential skill for presenters,” he explains.
“If a translator couldn’t find an equivalent, he was expected to coin it.” Some of his colleagues on the station that’s now called Motsweding FM included Getz Komane, Thabo Mokwena, Dan Setshedi, Elliot Maele, Aaron Thupa Selau, Sello Phiri and Bella Komane.
A former boxer who realised that radio was his destiny after losing his only professional bout, Mothibi says his superiors appreciated his ring expertise as a boxing commentator while at the same time he was expected to cover various programmes, including news reading.
After ten years of distinguished and dedicated service behind the mic and as a scriptwriter of radio serials, the then president of Bophuthatswana, Kgosi Lucas Mangope, recruited him to head the newly established Bop Broadcasting Corporation in his capacity as chief broadcasting officer and to establish a flagship station for the "independent" bantustan. His responsibilities included recruiting and training presenters.
There was a lot of spadework and fact-finding mission involved before the launch. These included visiting radio stations abroad in order to find a blueprint for the new channel.
“During a trip to Israel, I was impressed by the fact that a particular radio station was tailor-made specifically for its audiences – their dreams, tastes and aspirations. I found that appealing. At the SABC there was little or no room to express individual ideas during broadcasting. So, this new venture was an opportunity for me to convert my ideas into reality and offer listeners exceptional quality broadcasting.”
Radio Bop went on air for the first time on November 5 in 1978, exactly eleven months after the homeland was granted Pretoria-style independence by the John Vorster government. Broadcasting in English and Setswana on the 1098 medium wave frequency from the capital Mmabatho, it soon gained popularity with culturally and linguistically diverse audiences across the country and it was only a matter of time before it earned a reputation as the pride of black commercial radio and certainly the best on the continent with world-class studio facilities.
Mothibi also brought in Thapelo Thipe from Radio Tswana for a managerial role. Thipe would later succeed Mothibi as head of Radio Bop when he returned to the SABC in 1988 to become the first black station manager on the Setswana channel.
The 1980s witnessed the recruitment and mentoring of more explosive talent – the likes of Harry “Boogy Harry” Cohen, Tim Modise, Lawrence Dube, Modisane Modise, Mogale Mafatshe and Edgar “Brother ED” Dikgole – whose music show, Have A Ball was one of the most listened to programmes by lovers of the popular music of the time.
“We gave the people what they loved to listen to, quality and meaningful music by outstanding black artists of the time, ranging from Nina Simone to Ray Phiri. We were instrumental in making the band Stimela well known.”
Ironically, he recalls that Gallo was not interested when he approached the influential record label to supply the soon-to-be launched station.
“We turned to music outlets like Kohinoor and Steve’s Record Bar in Marabastad, Pretoria, as our main source of the latest records. Gallo later changed their attitude towards us when they realised that we were fast gaining popularity with listeners.”
Mothibi says the secret for station’s success was that the presenters were literally new voices in the industry with no prior experience.
“Because they were trained on the job, they brought in a different feel that gave the station a unique character,” he explains.
“The first lesson was that they were journalists and therefore should be well-informed when it comes to general knowledge. The biblical rule of broadcasting was ‘never go behind the mic unprepared’. That was a basic requirement known as microphone etiquette.
Punctuality was also of cardinal importance. For instance, presenters and producers wouldn’t delay news bulletins by a second because they have decided to play a song that’s longer than the remaining time. It was also considered rude and unprofessional to select a song that the presenter/DJ couldn’t play in full due to limited time. Songs were expected to be played uninterrupted by the presenter’s unnecessary sing-along.”
Not surprisingly, he is not impressed with the level of broadcasting these days. A stern disciplinarian in his days, he believes that the standards and ethics have been dumped into the dustbin of mediocrity. “They are too carefree behind the mic for my liking. It’s also unfortunate that some of them are not articulate in their mother tongues. Radio is a custodian of languages. It’s not just about communication. So it’s important for presenters to be fluent in their languages.”
Radio Bop compilers and presenters enjoyed the freedom to play music that was banned on SABC airwaves. It was truly the station with a mind of its own, a motto that Mothibi personally coined and still resonates to this day. Mogale Mafatshe’s Moribo Wa Afrika on Saturday evenings commanded a cult following of audiences who were enthralled by his magical command of his unique brand of idiomatic Setswana while entertaining them with great music from the continent. It was sheer poetry and amazing beauty.
He would later replay his magic on Radio Mmabatho, another brainchild of Mothibi that broadcast exclusively in Setswana. Lentswe la Setshaba (the voice of the nation), as its tagline went, produced a new generation of memorable and exceptionally talented radio personalities such as Monty Sehole, Peter Vusi Manzana, Modiko Mothupi, Sydney Mpongo, Minah Pilane, Big Boy Moagi, Thapelo Madumane, Cebo Manyaapelo, Lawrence Kuntwane, Alphie Koonyaditse and Chris Motshabi.
While the new kid on the block’s listenership was growing by leaps and bounds, Mothibi recalls that the bigwigs at Auckland Park were watching the developments with a combination of envy and concern. It was only a matter of time before they could react to this growing competition that was clearly giving the state broadcaster a run for its money.
We gave the people what they loved to listen to, quality and meaningful music by outstanding black artists of the time, ranging from Nina Simone to Ray Phiri. We were instrumental in making the band Stimela well known.
This happened on September 1 1986 when the then Radio Metro, an English medium commercial channel aimed at urban black audiences, went on air under Koos Radebe as station manager. At least three of the original presenters of the SABC’s new station – Lawrence Dube, Tim Modise and Harry Cohen – were recruited from Radio Bop.
Over the years it became a trend for Radio Metro (later renamed Metro FM) to headhunt established talent that was groomed by Mothibi and successive station managers at Radio Bop and Bop TV, his other initiative with a signal that was obtained from CNN. Notable ones include the late Aldrin Segale Mogotsi and Bob Mabena as well as former Bop TV presenters, Shado Twala and Nothemba Madumo. Unsurprisingly, Mothibi was not impressed with the developments. “There was nothing original about the station. They used both our blueprint and the DJs we had trained. As a national broadcaster they had the advantage. They were able to recruit some of the best from Radio Bop with promises of better salaries.”
David Mokgosi Mothibi was born on 17 November 1940 in Pella (Matlhako) village in the Rustenburg district where his father was a schoolteacher. He says he developed a love for writing from an early age and impressed his teachers with well-crafted, brilliant essays. “My father encouraged my interest in words and bought me books that fired my love for writing,” he recalls. “At the time, the love for Setswana was not encouraged in the classroom. English was the favoured language and although I enjoyed learning it and writing essays in the Queen’s language, I discovered the beauty of my mother tongue.”
Some of his works were later adapted to TV dramas. One of them, Le Tla Mpona became the first black drama on local television in 1982, the same year black television was launched. Its main character, the vain and boastful Ponko – played by former sprinter and bank manager, Peter Mokoka – remains one of the most memorable characters on the small screen. The popular TV drama series, Ke Morwa Monatong and Tlharantlhope – starring the late Edward Sekati and Tshepo Maseko respectively – also came from Mothibi’s prolific pen.
His latest work, Seboloke, was launched on Motsweding FM in 2007. A popular award-winning radio soapie aired on weekdays, it’s also available in omnibus format on Sundays between 12 and 1pm. Currently with over 700 episodes, it is an unprecedented achievement in the history of radio dramas and a first in the soapie genre.
Although his contract was discontinued in 2019, he’s happy that a new generation of writers had been drafted in to continue with the series. The retired father of three lives in Mabopane, north-west of Pretoria with Rebecca Mothibi, his wife of 53 years and retired schoolteacher.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.