Radio Thohoyandou presenter Mulalo Muvhango Mathoma fell in love with radio when he was still a young boy, attending classes at Lukhaimana Primary School. "During breaks, I would entertain my classmates by broadcasting a soccer match or imitating popular broadcasters at Phalaphala FM," he explains.
Very soon, only sport dominated Mathoma's impromptu performances in front of his classmates. He would venture into news, imitating one of the best Tshivenda news readers to have emerged at Phalaphala FM, the late Mr Mbulungeni Mafenya Mphaphuli. "He became a major influence and inspiration in my life," he said.
After finishing his Grade 12, Mathoma headed for Gauteng, where he did media studies at one of the colleges in 2006.
In radio circles, Mathoma is better known as Mufhatusi, a nickname derived from his programme "Masofani" at Radio Thohoyandou. But the popular presenter had his fair share of exposure to different radio stations. He had stints at Vuwani FM, Kingdom FM, Vhembe FM, and Makhado FM before settling and finding a new home at Radio Thohoyandou.
"I am enjoying every minute of it at the new radio station. The listeners welcomed me warmly when I took to the air, and this boosted my morale immensely. They have become part of my extended family. The programme I am hosting exposed me to different types of music genres while, at the same time, I interact with many different people. I am working towards my dream of working for one of the big stations in the country. My long-time dream remains reading news, and I will work hard until I achieve that," Mufhatusi said.
His programme airs on Saturdays from 12:00 to 14:00 and is a music programme with a topic on social matters that listeners discuss.