Victor Musekwa is the Tshivenda news bulletin writer and reader on community radio station Musina FM. The natural flow and precision with which he presents his work has captured the attention of thousands of listeners over the years.
Musekwa says he is very proud to read news in Tshivenda because he feels very strongly about preserving the culture and tradition. "It is very painful to see indigenous languages disappearing. If we want our young generation to preserve their culture, the first thing is to preserve the language itself. Mother tongue plays a very important role because it connects people with their culture and encourages social cohesion. One of the best ways to promote these indigenous languages is radio."
Musekwa, who spends a lot of his time in the library when he is not in the studio, says bulletin writing requires someone who reads a lot. "There is not much time to rest as you have to consult different sources to make sure that the listeners get the latest news. Moreover, most of the news are sourced in other languages that need to be translated as well. It is important to provide listeners with the local breaking news that has not been heard anywhere else. The more you feed people with exclusive news, the more they become interested. That way, you get them hooked, so that they don't want to listen to other radio stations."
Musekwa encourages aspirant news writers and readers to love their language first. "If you love your language, it will be easier for you to express yourself in it. You should also read a lot in your own language in order to master it. If you do that, and in addition love your work, there is no doubt about success," he said.