Death of well-known cop and radio presenter comes as shock

The death of Lt-Col Samuel Londani Khwashaba, a well-known police officer and local radio presenter from Maungani, outside Thohoyandou, has been described as a tragic loss, not only to his family but the greater Vhembe community. He passed away in the Polokwane MediClinic on Thursday, 25 January, following a short illness.

Khwashaba (54) juggled his careers as radio technician at the SAPS Technical Services in Vhembe and radio presenter at Univen FM, Phalaphala FM, and finally at Vhembe FM, where he hosted a reggae and jazz show. He often assisted with technical problems at the radio stations.

Besides his jobs as police officer and radio presenter, Khwashaba was also a gospel artist, popularly known as “A Dread Mon” in the music industry and will be remembered for nurturing the music careers of many top local artists, including the likes of Rofhiwa Manyaga, Naledzani Netshirembe, Malondolo, and Hanedzani Mutele, to mention but a few, to whom he gave a platform at his home studio from where their careers kicked off.

Soon after the news of his passing became known, tributes started pouring in. Among the first to send their condolences to the family was Vhembe FM’s board chairperson, Mr Matodzi Mphephu, who described Khwashaba as an all-rounder. “A void has been left here at our station. Khwashaba was a straight-talking person who never shied away from what he believed in. He never took a shortcut while doing his job,” he said.

His sister, Ms Mpho Khwashaba, said that her brother’s death had left the family broken-hearted. “We lost our parents early on in life, and Sammy took on the role of a parental figure. He had a good heart, and many he assisted will attest to this. He was everything to us,” she said.

Khwashaba was born at Ngovhela Phindula in 1970. He attended several local schools before completing his matric at Shayandima Secondary School. His first job was at Telkom in 1988, where he worked as a technician. He joined the SAPS in 2005, where he also worked as a technician until his death.

Khwashaba is survived by his three sisters and his four children. He was laid to rest in the Maungani cemetery on Wednesday, 31 January.

Date:02 February 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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