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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent 

PERSONALITIES who worked under the leadership of Fairtalk Communications chief executive officer (CEO) Qhubani Moyo have said they will miss him as he was a listening boss who valued people and their opinions. 

Fairtalk Communications is the parent company of Bulawayo-based Skyz Metro FM and Victoria Falls stationed Breeze FM. Moyo’s five-year contract as CEO ran out on Thursday with Skyz Metro FM station manager, Godwin Phiri, being appointed interim CEO as the company seeks a substantive boss.

Skyz Metro FM breakfast show, Kusile Kwesabantu, presenter Benkosi “Bkay” Maphosa described Dr Q, as Moyo is known, as a fun boss.

“Dr Q as we like to call him, was a fun boss to have. As high in the hierarchy as he was, he made people feel important and he valued people’s opinions greatly. 

“A passionate man in everything he does, one thing I knew about him is that he always kept saying people should better themselves and that they must not get into the habit of being comfortable where they are,” said Bkay.

“Over and above, Dr Q was a strong believer in changing the lives of people, not only the community, but people around him. He loved radio and often told us that he was our number one fan.”

Skyz Metro FM Friday Breakfast show, Ingqungquthela “the Breakfast of champions” presenter, Babongile Sikhonjwa, said he owes Moyo a lot. Sikhonjwa launched his broadcasting career at Skyz Metro FM and went on to win awards. 

“I’ve known him for a very long time as we worked on various projects together. When Fairtalk applied for a broadcasting licence, I was one of the first people to be contacted. He came to my flat and told me about the radio project and I was happy that I was selected to choose a show that I wanted,” he said.

Sikhonjwa described Dr Q as a cool and simple man who loves tradition, adding that he would greatly miss him at the station. 

“He’s a nice, cool, simple guy. He loves izinto zesintu (traditional things), ubuntu and people. One thing about him is that he sticks to his guns. I fall short of calling him stubborn, but when he would say he wants to do something, he’d do it. He would also back you up even when you are at fault, but call you aside and give you advice,” he said.

Sikhonjwa said Moyo was a unique boss in that he was open to new ideas.

“He used to like ideas from people that were out of the box. We’re definitely going to miss this as he listened to so many ideas and projects that we threw at him. I’m also glad to say that we successfully did 99 percent of the projects,” he said. 

In all this, Sikhonjwa said Moyo was very passionate about Bulawayo and wanted to see the city scale greater heights. 

Lesley Phiri, a former executive producer at Breeze FM, said through Moyo, the people of Victoria Falls, who never had a radio station for years, were provided with one. Since its inception, Breeze FM has been a game changer in the resort town with more and more personalities being created. 

“Vic Falls never had a radio station before Breeze FM. Before, people there listened to Zambian stations, but through Dr Q’s leadership, he managed to change the narrative. 

“People there began to understand what was happening in Zimbabwe, especially Matabeleland North. Most crucially, artistes there started to get airplay and this saw some being nominated for awards such as Obhudi be space of the Izanka Leli fame,” he said. 

Phiri went on to wish Moyo well in his future endeavours.

“I wish him well in his future endeavours like the call that he constantly made to have a television station from this side of the country. Perhaps that’s his next project,” he said. 

Moyo on his part said he was leaving Fairtalk a happy and content man as he feels he fulfilled all that he sought to do when he joined the organisation. 

“This was a fulfilling project that has always been close to my heart since my boyhood days. The five years that I’ve been at Fairtalk have seen us build a giant media institution that has created two radio stations, namely Breeze FM and Skyz Metro FM which have impacted positively on community transformation in areas of our operation,” he said.