Sithabisiwe, ZBCtv newscaster on the rise

Yet another Bulawayo beauty has been introduced by ZBCtv on the news desk.

The vivacious news reader, Sithabisiwe Mathema recently joined the station as an isiNdebele news reader.

Drawing her inspiration from the late ZBC news reader, Sithokozile Mpala, Mathema, a journalist by profession said: "I used to love the way Sithokozile Mpala read the news. During my spare time when I was still going to school, I'd mimic the way she read news.

"As a result, I developed a passion for journalism and told my high school teacher that I wanted to be a journalist. He encouraged me to take up a journalism course after realising how passionate I was," said Mathema.

After completing her A'Level's at Usher High School, Mathema enrolled for a Media and Society Studies course at the Midlands State University in Gweru and put her skills to test when she was attached at the Sunday News for a year.

During her stint at Sunday News, Mathema who was under the wings of Paul Mambo learnt life lessons from the former Editor who is now late.

"Mr Mambo saw the potential in me and told me I could be the best and could achieve a lot in journalism. This assurance boosted my confidence and steered me to want to achieve more in life," she said.

But how did Mathema end up in broadcasting? It took one caring friend to send her a WhatsApp message informing her that there were auditions for radio news readers at Montrose studios. Without hesitating, Mathema went for the auditions, but to her shock, the auditions were in actual fact for television news anchors.

Fortunately, she made the pack as three people including her were shortlisted from the auditions.

Now, she has found a home in the broadcasting world, seen by the way she fluently and eloquently reads isiNdebele news on weekends during Nhau/Indaba.

"I'm enjoying every moment in the broadcasting field. I like it when I'm reading news in IsiNdebele as I've in-depth knowledge of the language which is a bonus for me," she said.

Besides broadcasting, Mathema works closely with youths, assisting them with their business projects.

The fashionista and avid reader said she spends her spare time shopping, reading novels and listening to old school music.