Luminaries of Soweto honoured by their own for their impactful work in society

Those recognised on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, 2025, include those whose work in journalism, creative and cultural sector, business and sport has transformed society for the better.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

The crowd seated around, specifically those behind where I sat laughed. I tried to ignore them. Not sure whether it was something funny to warrant my attention and in the process distract me from what I was focussing on. The stage right in front of me is where the action was. That is where luminaries in society, majority of whom are from Soweto or had connection with the famous township, were being called on stage by philanthropist and community leader Siphiwe Msimang.

But then I could not ignore it any longer.  The laughter. Whatever it was that made the crowd to laugh was something not to ignore.

Then I looked behind me. Right on my right shoulder behind me he stood still. 

I suddenly realised the source of this spontaneous laughter that filled the hall. Just like me, he was documenting the action. He stood still. His eyes seeming not to blink as he focused his phone camera on the proceedings on stage. He was barely three. I guessed.  He was determined to record the action. He must have intuitively realised that this was no ordinary Fathers’ Day and therefore, he was determined to record this for posterity.

It was then it dawned on me that these awards were big. Honouring luminaries in society. Not necessarily those whose triumph at a plethora of awards dished out to certain people in society whose claim to fame is as much to do with their achievements, but sadly also with the lobbying behind the scenes, often undertaken by those who derogate to themselves the job to decide who deserves to be honoured or not. For such awards, more often the decision is not based on real achievement. For some of the so called meritorious awards, it is more to do with who will attract the cameras and draw attention towards those who organise such awards than they are on what they have achieved in society. In other words, they tend to be frivolous and distastefully elitist.

But not the Siphiwe Msimango Foundation Awards that have been taking place for several years now. In a manner of speaking, these are awards that are practically owned and oragnised by the community of Soweto. This is a collaboration between stakeholders in the community, led by the foundation. This alone creates a sense of community ownership, pride and prestige associated with them.

Those that were honoured on Sunday include people from the creative and cultural sector, education, business, sport, media and other professions.

“I do not know where to start other than saying that before I started the South African Roadies Association in 1992, I had worked as a Roadie for Harari, a group that toured and travelled around the country as well as southern Africa, including Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho. I also worked with Sipho Mabuse. Raodies are people who work behind the scene, handling the technical side of a show.

But while working, I got an opportunity to learn the technical side. I was lucky because it became obvious that this area of a live show was the preserve of white technicians while black people were mainly used to carry stuff. In 1992, I therefore founded the South African Raodies Association with only a desk. Today we have a school, class rooms and our own building in Newtown to skill young people in live events technical production. It is a pity though that we get assistance mainly from people outside this country, and not from our own people,” said Freddie Nyathela. He is the President of the South African Roadies Association. He was speaking directly to the audience made up of the Soweto community that gathered to witness their own honoured by their own in recognition oftheir contribution to the transformation of society.

Nyathela joined other luminaries that were also honoured, including retired journalists Phil Mthimkhulu, Joe Thloloe, Thomas Khosa, veteran broadcaster Stanley Bodibe, former bankers-turned entrepreneurs Zuko Rwaxa (of Niki’s Oasis in Newtown who was awarded alongside his wife Sminikiwe Sondlo for founding Nikis ’Oasis Jazz Restaurant ), taxi business mogul Charles Yende and Glen Huma.

Others that were awarded include Jabu Kumalo a photojournalist, journalists Sam Mathe, Meshack Khota, Paradise Legodia retired sportsman, Basil Dube (music), Sibusiso Magasela veteran ABC producer and sports commentator.

Ï am a self-taught photographer and writer. But I also want to reveal that I come from the background of alcoholism and now I and my fellows we help other people who are finding it hard to leave alcohol. We do no diagnose such people, but rather it is them who diagnose themselves and come to us for help.  Personally I was a pathetic drunkard who could have died in his 20s if I did not seek help,” Kumalo said.

During the ceremony all those who were awarded sang from the same song book, praising the founder of the awards Msimang and his foundation for his foresight in awarding people whose work spoke for itself. Thse are people who quietly work hard to transform society in their respective field, aware from the glare of cameras and the usual awards that sometimes are dished out to mediocrity in the name of celebrity gravitas.

“Ï am glad to hear that there are people still interested in the pictures that were taken in 1976,” said veteran photographer Khosa when he was called on stage to receive the award. He appeared to be more at ease taking pictures than enjoying the limelight on stage.

However Khosa played an important role in history in the context of the drama of 1976 in Soweto. He in fact assisted in disseminating information about the Student Uprising in 1976. He imade it possible for the iconic picture taken by the late photographer Sam Nzima showing the injured Hector Peterson being carried away after being shot by the police. Khosa who was then a driver for the newspaper that published the picture, prevailed and saved the picture from being destroyed by police as he and journalist Sophie acted just in time, taking the film from Nzima as the police pursued him for the film. Both of them rushed to the newsroom to get the iconic picture processed and published the following day. Today that effort forms part of the history that is 1976.

As the ceremony wrapped up and commemorative trees were about to be planted by the youth with their elderly mentors, the picture of that young boy, standing still, focussing his camera on the stage to capture glory and honour flooded my mind. This award ceremony was indeed no ordinary ceremony as it attracted the attention of the old and the young alike.  I tried to locate the boy that made everyone to laugh in the hall. But he was nowhere to be found. He left as he came, and I therefore did not get to speak to him nor his parents.  It was indeed a beautiful father’s Day,that also saw the young wanting to catch the action on stage as some people’s fathers were honoured for a job well done in society.

CITYLIFE/ARETS would like to congratulate those luminaries that left the stage with top honours at this year’s Siphiwe Msimango Foundation Awards.