Jeffrey Zikhali — pioneer journalist, devout Christian and consummate professional

6 Dec 2023

Family members and friends say Zikhali was on his way to his ancestral home in KwaDlangezwa when he was shot and thrown out of his vehicle.

Former journalist and government communicator Jeffrey Zikhali was shot dead in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday night and his body was left on the side of the road as his assailant or assailants fled in his vehicle.

Family members and friends say Zikhali was on his way to his ancestral home in KwaDlangezwa when he was shot and thrown out of his vehicle.

On Saturday morning, SAPS members who were patrolling the area discovered Zikhali’s body on the side of the road.

Also known as JZ, Zikhali was a devout Christian, a former journalist, news editor, sports anchor and government spokesperson. By his own account, he was the “first journalist to have worked for Radio Khwezi [a community radio station based in Kranskop]”. He also worked for SABC, e.tv and the BBC.

Radio Khwezi was one of the pioneer radio stations that received its broadcasting licence from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa in 1995, broadcasting from the KwaSizabantu Mission in Kranskop.

A few years ago, the KwaSizabantu Mission was accused of working with and getting covert and financial support from the apartheid-era South African Defence Force and there were accusations that the mission itself was built on land from where African families had been forcibly removed.

Zikhali maintained the mission had done more good than bad and that it could not have escaped the political storms and other upheavals of the time.

He thanked the mission for his upbringing and orientation, his education, his travels and, more importantly, for teaching him skills including gardening, carpentry, plumbing and tiling.

After his stint as a journalist and sports anchor at several broadcasting organisations, Zikhali joined the KZN government as the spokesperson for the then MEC for social development, Meshack Radebe.

Because of instability and factionalism in the ANC in KZN, Radebe was dispensed from his position and replaced with another MEC who was the flavour of the new leadership. Zikhali too lost his job.

Pioneer broadcaster

Phakamani Mkhwanazi, the spokesperson for Radio Khwezi, said his station had lost one of its pioneer broadcasters, someone who made a huge impact on the station and in the media space beyond.

“As Radio Khwezi, we regard Mr Zikhali as one of the pathfinders, who started as a journalist and sport compiler. Someone who made great strides during his stint at the station. Those of our colleagues who worked with him called him ‘Mr Research’ as he was dogmatic in finding or gathering information about the subject he was to talk about.

“Sport, particularly soccer, was his first love and his sports shows were very popular with our listeners,” Mkhwanazi said.

Mbulelo Baloyi, a senior KZN government spin doctor, said he knew Zikhali back in 1996 when the latter was the news editor-cum-sports anchor at Radio Khwezi.

“He was unlike other novice broadcasters. He was very professional and up-to-date with what was happening. We lost a great man, someone who stuck to his conviction, even if everyone was against it, like he did when he defended KwaSizabantu Mission,” Baloyi said.

Makhosini Mgitshwa, another seasoned spin doctor and former SABC journalist, posted on his Facebook timeline that Zikhali’s death reflected the dangers prevalent in South Africa.

“I don’t remember meeting Jeffrey S Zikhali in person. However, we did engage a lot on his Facebook posts and mine. What stood out to me about him was that he was a devout Christian. I also remember him saying he’d want to be back in mainstream media doing what he loved the most, being in front of the camera.

“Yesterday Jeffrey became a victim of a suspected hijacking … Stuff like this drains you and makes you despondent about our country.”

Zikhali’s killers are still at large. DM

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Pioneer broadcaster