Riot Hlatshwayo

Riot Hlatshwayo

Rio Mabunda, the soft-spoken and award-winning Ligwalagwala FM station manager, is returning to the airwaves after an absence of many years.

The station's spokesperson Christine Mazibuko, yesterday said Mabunda was scheduled to start hosting the Breakfast Show from April 1.

Dumisani "Madumane" Simelane is currently hosting the 6am to 9am show. The station has not said where he will be moved to.

"We are actually coming up with a new line-up. We shall only be able to announce who does which show in a while. One thing for sure is that the legend is now scheduled to host the Breakfast Show," said Mazibuko.

Mabunda, pictured, joined the station in January 1993 as a junior presenter hosting a variety of shows. In 1995 he moved to the Afternoon Drive Show and the International Top 20 on Saturdays. "Mabunda was deployed to the Morning Drive Show in 1998 so he could modernise it as he had done with the Afternoon Drive Show," said Mazibuko.

Mabunda was later promoted to manager of music and drama in 2000 while still hosting the Breakfast Show and live football commentary. In 2003 he was promoted to programmes manager and sometimes acted as the station manager.

In October 2006 he landed the station manager's position that he still holds. Asked what he was promising to his listeners, Mabunda said: "This is one show you don't want to miss."

The station's listenership stands at 1,4 million.