Mzwakhe Khachela
Nominee's Province:
Free State
Age:
30
Project Name/Description:
Radio Presenter – Lesedi FM
From as early as high school, Mzwakhe Khachela defined his path in the arts by participating in local drama, poetry and hip-hop. A few years later, he has grown to become an activist for the arts, actor, producer and promoter. Khachela is the secretary of the Free State Music Association, an organisation that was formed to represent Free State artists in the music market by bridging the gap between musicians and collecting societies, promoting access to markets, music publishing and licensing, as well as organising conferences aimed at information sharing and networking. The association successfully held its first Free State International Music Conference, which resulted in one local artist signing a recording deal with Gallo Records. Khachela’s gains in the industry include being cast in a film written by the renowned Thapelo Moraka and directed by Cedric Sundstrom of American Ninja fame, as well as producing a two-hander called O Tseleng Jeso featuring Jerry Phele and Seputla Sebogodi, among others. As a radio jock, Khachela first got his breakthrough at CUT FM 105.8, where he stayed for seven years before being recruited by Lesedi FM. His radio highlight was when he stood in for the iconic Thuso Motaung, presenting the station’s popular Sunday spirituality show. Khachela laments that for the past 30 years, there hasn’t been any noteworthy investment in the arts, despite the sector contributing significantly to the economy, nation-building and social cohesion. “The current government almost destroyed the arts. It's only the fighting spirit of artists that is keeping the arts alive,” he concludes.
