Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma ,Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
Media personality Zandile “Zazalicious” Ndlovu, one of the closest friends of the late Babongile Sikhonjwa, has shared one of her most treasured memories with the “Ndebele Rockstar”, a wild, whisky-fuelled morning show they co-hosted on Skyz Metro FM after partying all night.
The pair, known for their love of music and high-energy lifestyles, had attended a Heavy K concert at Club Eden (now Cosmopolitan), a night filled with dancing and celebration to hits like Beautiful War, Yini, Easy to Love, and Wena. But in the excitement, they forgot one crucial detail: they were due on air the following morning for the station’s breakfast show.
“We went straight from the gig to the studio without a wink of sleep,” Zazalicious recalled.
“We were pumped up and running purely on adrenaline. But halfway through the show, the exhaustion hit hard, and we started crashing.”
It was then that Qhubani Moyo, the station’s owner, stepped in with an unexpected remedy.
“He walked into the studio carrying a bottle of Glenfiddich 18-year-old whisky and told us, ‘I need you two to drink this now so your energy goes up. Finish the show, and then go home and sleep it off.’ It was crazy, but that turned out to be one of the most memorable and fun radio shows we ever did together.”
Zazalicious said that moment perfectly captured the spirit of their friendship, spontaneous, fearless, and full of laughter. But beyond the mischief, it reflected a deeper bond that went far beyond the studio.
“What I will miss most is his smile, his hearty raspy laugh, and those hugs, which he gave, the best hugs ever. He loved life and lived it to the fullest. I’ll even miss those moments when he’d jump into the back seat of my car and say, ‘Kulani ku coolerbox, Zaza?’ My heart is broken, but I know he’s in a good place. He ran his race, and he ran it well.”
For Zazalicious, Sikhonjwa was more than just a colleague or friend; he was family. Their connection deepened when they both returned to Zimbabwe in 2012, having lived outside the country, she in South Africa, he in the UK.
“We called ourselves The Returnees. We shared the same passions; we loved concerts, music, Ndebele culture, business, fast cars, and living on the edge. But above everything else, we loved people and family.”
That shared sense of family was cemented even further when they both lost their mothers, a painful chapter that brought them even closer.
“He would say to me, ‘Njenge ndoda akumelanga ngikhale abantu bengibona’ (as a man, I shouldn’t cry in public). I was probably one of the few people who saw him at his most vulnerable, cry, laugh, then pour a glass of whisky, and move on with life. He was always my first call when I landed in Bulawayo, and I was the first person he’d reach out to whenever he arrived in Harare.”
Their friendship, built on laughter, loyalty, and shared passions, was a constant in both their lives. And even though Sikhonjwa is gone, the bond they shared, one of sibling-like love and unshakable support, will remain etched in Zazalicious’s heart forever.
