By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A man who needs no introduction, who’s been part of South African sports for more than a decade has finally released his book.
‘Gqimm Shelele: The Robert Marawa story is the name of his self titled book that has hit the shelves.
The book is a personal account of his rise to fame as a popular soccer sportscaster and has been published by Pan Macmillan South Africa.
Gqimm Shelele, gives fans intimate insight into his life and career, tracing his roots back to his childhood on his parents’ farm in rural KwaZulu Natal. The only boy in the family, he and his Dad had a special bond, which developed around their shared passion for soccer. Frank, an avid sports fan, bought Robert a small FM radio so that he could listen to commentary about the sport he loved so much.
“My Dad instilled a love of the beautiful game in me,” says Robert, “and it’s been a lifelong love affair.”
By the time he was a teenager, Robert had a bigger radio – with an aerial – and every Saturday afternoon he would listen to the soccer commentary by legends such as Koos Radebe and Bab’Mangethe, memorising the line-up of each game in advance. But it was also at this time, during the late 1980s, that he first witnessed racism at school and in sport – and where he found the voice to speak out about it. As a shy junior in high school, he had taken lessons in speech and drama to help him relax and open up in social situations. Not only did they help him to become more confident and more vocal, they laid the groundwork for an exciting career in broadcasting.
When Robert talks about how he developed his love of sports broadcasting, he tells of how his Mom always recorded sports events for him on VHS tapes – and about how he became fascinated by the reach and immediacy of television. Then his Dad bought a camcorder for the family and the deal was sealed. He would record family events, social gatherings and even himself pretending to be a newsreader, having diligently practiced his lines.
“I wanted to be in the thick of things,” he says. “I wanted to be just like Martin Locke and Ahmed Rashad, who were prominent TV anchors at the time, and I wanted to share my love of the game with fans just like me.”
It was shortly afterwards, in 1995, that he set foot on the first step of his own ladder to fame, becoming a continuity presenter on Simunye, SABC 1.
Since then, Robert’s career has gone from strength to strength, with him coming into his own as Madluphuthu, an endearment he is referred to by his listeners, on radio. And it was on radio that he became known for his signature signoff line, ‘gqimm’shelele’, which means ‘we’ll be back!’.
Now, after many years of interviewing others, Robert has spent hours in conversation with Mandy Wiener, one of South Africa’s most respected investigative journalists and non-fiction authors. From these discussions Mandy has been able to share his remarkable story with his legions of fans. This is his account of all the highs, lows and in-betweens of an extraordinary life and a career that has exceeded even his own wildest dreams, as told to a credible and much-lauded reporter.
“We’re thrilled to publish South African icon Robert Marawa’s book,” says Terry Morris, MD of Pan Macmillan South Africa. “Robert’s story, as told to Mandy Wiener, is engaging and honest and the perfect read for all sports lovers.”
With his quick turn of phrase, his warm baritone voice and his direct, no-nonsense approach, Robert has earned loyal followings on radio, television and social media, with fans eager to know about his remarkable life. Robert doesn’t disappoint, sharing his broadcasting journey from the hosting of World Cups on air through to interviewing presidents. On the flip side, he opens up about his multiple firings and controversial suspensions and doesn’t shy away from tackling hard issues both in his career and in his personal life.
With his trademark passion, he addresses the issues of transformation, sports administration, mentorship, political leadership – and why Bafana Bafana keeps losing. He also shares his insights on what has made him such a popular media personality, giving a much-anticipated, behind-the-scenes look into his life and career.
Gqimm Shelele: The Robert Marawa Story is on sale from 27 October through all physical and online bookstores in South Africa. You can catch Marawa on his weekly radio show, Marawa Sport Weekly (MSW), airs daily between 17h00 and 17h30.