John Robbie, a South African talk radio icon has hung up his headphones for the last time leaving South Africans with one last hopeful message.
Presenter and radio host, John Robbie said his goodbyes to listeners on his last show on Radio 702 after “30 years unbroken at the station”. Robbie said he hadn’t still decided what he was going to do after hanging up his earphones‚ but joked that he was “looking forward to not getting up so early in the morning”.
He used his last daily “Comment” segment to declare that he was still pretty optimistic about South Africa.
This was in direct contrast to 1986‚ when he joined 702‚ when the country faced “great uncertainty”.
“South Africa was basically involved in a civil war at the stage‚ it was the last throw of the old South Africa‚ PW Botha had refused to cross the Rubicon‚ the townships were in flames‚ Nelson Mandela was still in jail‚ ANC and others were banned‚ you couldn’t mention them on the radio‚ you couldn’t mention ANC‚ PAC‚ Communist Party‚ you couldn’t mention them on the radio‚ or talk to them‚” he said.
Moving forward 30 years‚ Robbie said that “despite the problems‚ we have a thriving democracy‚ things like the public protector‚ things like the parliamentary inquiry into the SABC… they show‚ I believe‚ that things are starting to work”.
He said the country would do a stock-take after President Jacob Zuma – whom Robbie described as an “unmitigated disaster” – finally leaves office.
“I believe in the country‚ we have the potential to not just survive‚ but to thrive.”
702 announced Robbie’s retirement from the airwaves last month.
Robbie’s retirement has created an opportunity to restructure the 702 line-up, and from 9 January 2017, current afternoon drive host, Xolani Gwala will be taking over the breakfast slot from 06:00 to 09:00.
Redi Tlhabi, who has been with 702 in the mid-morning slot for 10 years, will take over the afternoon drive from 15:00 to 18:00.
All changes will take effect in January 2017.
Watch his final 10 minutes of the show here:
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