Veteran isiXhosa news anchor Noxolo Grootboom recently visited David Mashabela of King David’s studio podcast where she spoke all things motherhood, life challenges, the honour from the president and retirement.
In the chat with the podcaster the 63 year old mom to Dawn, Zwelakhe, Bhungane and Nokwanda spoke of the moment President Cyril Ramaphosa shifted a national state address to a later time in order to allow the country to watch her last news reading segment.
The moment touched many South Africans who shared on many social media platforms how she made them watch the isiXhosa news even though some didn’t even understand what she was saying.
Chatting with of that moment with David the mother of four jokingly said:
“I still can’t believe he did that, whenever I see him, I’m like konte wandifakela amehlo (by the way you got me too much attention).”
She carried on saying:
“It humbled me to the core, to the marrow, not even to the bone. I was like who am I.”
David asked if she knew and understood who she is.
The veteran newsreader who was known and loved for her phrase, “ndinithanda none emakhaya (I love you all at home),” which she would utter at the end of each news segment responded:
“I still don’t know who am I, kwabangathi nje (it was like) the president has opened enye nje impompi (a flood) of people, of institutions doing things for me, that prompt me to say, konje ndenzeni (what have I done), ndingubani (who am I).
The newsreader who looks nothing close to her age also touched on parenting and motherhood, making mention of her daughter Nokwanda who is independently crafting her career path on her own without any help.
She shared:
“We are not going to be around for them for too long. The best we can do is to make sure we arm them with tools.”
The former SABC news reader also shared that she feels she has achieved her goal of teaching her kids independence and equipping them with the right tools, adding that they are not perfect and they are going to make mistakes and learn from them.
She added:
“I want my children to fall, because I want to see bazakuvuka njani (how are they going to get up). I’m not raising goody-goody’s, we don’t live in a goody-goody world. I want to make mistakes, I want my children to fall, I want life to teach them a lesson and see how but I want to see them dust themselves up and get themselves on the road.”
@anchoredforherFull Video Details: Youtube Channel: King David Studio Ep Title: SABC made me who I am _ Noxolo Grootboom♬ Beautiful Paradise – Aga Alamsyah
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