Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
“On your marks, get set. . .”
That is the phrase that sends adrenaline coursing through athletes’ veins and primes their bodies for maximum performance. As runners streak through the track in pursuit of glory, an electric atmosphere erupts.
In Bulawayo, Themba Mhlophe is a hype master extraordinaire who often stands at one end of the field with a microphone, giving a pulsating blow-by-blow account of races. His commentary urges athletes to reach deep within themselves and find that extra burst of energy to cross the finish line first.
Mhlophe’s job also includes making announcements, introducing athletes on the track, and announcing the names of those on the podium collecting their medals. He is the symbiotic link that communicates with the crowd, athletes, and officials to ensure that events are flawlessly coordinated.
For bringing out the best in athletes as they strive for glory and connecting them seamlessly with adoring fans, Mhlophe has earned the moniker “the voice of athletics in Bulawayo.” In some corridors, he is said to be the real deal when it comes to athletics. Simply put, without Mhlophe, no athletics events are worth attending in the city.
For more than a decade, Mhlophe has built himself into a brand as a stadium announcer, or better yet, an event director. He has encyclopedic knowledge of athletes and the sport in the city. Even football match attendees know him. Outside of sports, his sonorous voice is most sought after as a Master of Ceremony at weddings and funerals.
For those who follow athletics, Mhlophe needs no introduction, having started as an athlete himself before venturing into administration, coaching, and eventually carving a niche for himself behind the microphone. “I have been in athletics as a coach and administrator for as many years as I can remember. Actually, I can say athletics is life to me,” says Mhlophe.
“I started this journey as an athlete, then as a coach. I have worked with so many athletes and clubs, as well as Nash provincial teams and Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) provincial teams. Administratively, I have been on the provincial board and have worked with Dr Bhekuzulu Khumalo, Juma Phiri, James Rugwevera, Christine Ncube, and Joseph Mungwari, just to mention a few.”
The talented compere says he still coaches athletes behind the scenes and has also worked and is presently working with some of the city’s best talents.
“I have worked with athletes like Justin n Shepard Chitake, Blessing Pombi, Mandela Mthombeni, Prodigal Khumalo, Faith Nyathi, Margaret Mahohoma, and Trust Chidomaya. Currently, I’m working with Lisel Ndlovu, Esnath Ndlovu, Lesedi Nkomo, Yvette Tsaukai, and a number of young upcoming athletes we have at City meats athletics club. At the Nash provincial team, I have five athletes,” says Mhlophe.
“I work very closely with my provincial board. I am a good listener but a hard-talker, calling a spade a spade. I fell in love with the microphone long back when I was trained to direct events at Elim Revival Centre Church. Since then, I have never looked back. I honed my MIC skills working alongside individuals like Babongile Sikhonjwa, Arthur Evans, Modern Ngwenya, and recently Otilda Ndlovu. I have been engaged at weddings, funerals, and church services as a master of ceremonies and events director,” says Mhlophe.
He believes his in-depth knowledge of athletics gives him an edge over other commentators as he is adept at calling out events using “appropriate athletics language” and is able to give deeper meaning to seemingly ordinary occurrences on the field by contextualising athletes’ accomplishments through recalling their history.
Mhlophe says every stage of a race, from the warming up of the athletes to the issuing of medals, is very important.
“The medal ceremony becomes a disaster if someone is not aware of factors that make an athlete’s achievement noteworthy. Honestly, not everyone who can hold a microphone can be an events director at athletics events. There is a big difference between a commentator and an events director. For example, when I do the four-minute mile at the Trade Fair I do both commentary and event directing. You must study and love it to know even the athletes by names.”
He also gave his take on the state of athletics in the country.
“Currently athletics is at its lowest, especially in Matabeleland which used to be a powerhouse of athletics in Zimbabwe. We need to work together with our boards and as coaches to bring back the glory days. Schools as well must do athletics throughout the year for us to develop a wholesome transition of athletes from school to club and province,” says Mhlophe.
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