Former Thobela FM presenter, Kwetepe John Matlakala, will be buried on Saturday at Thabakgone village near Mankweng outside Polokwane. The programme will start at 6am.
Matlakala was found dead in his apartment in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, last week.
His cousin, Collen Maatlane, told Sunday World that the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Found deceased at his VUT apartment
“As the family, we were shocked to learn about his death on one of the leading regional radio stations, long before the family could be notified,” Maatlane said shortly after the memorial service held at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT)’s main campus, where Matlakala was employed.
Matlakala’s passing comes shortly after his appointment as a Language Practitioner at VUT.
A senior VUT official said staff members became worried when Matlakala failed to report for duty for several days without communication.
“That was when we decided to go and look for him at his apartment, where we found him dead,” said the official during a radio interview with an SABC Limpopo station. He declined to comment further and referred the media to the family.
Matlakala previously served as a VUT FM Board Member and Chairperson of Programming. He was well-known for his soft-spoken nature.
He left Thobela FM in late 2024. There, he had hosted popular shows including Reggae ke Mmino and the Sunday Evening Gospel Show at the station.
Passion for radio
According to Maatlane, Matlakala’s passion for radio began during his student years at the University of Limpopo (then University of the North).
“He worked at the campus radio station, Radio Turf, some years. He later joined the SABC-Limpopo’s Northern Sotho radio station, Thobela FM,” Maatlane said.
During Monday’s memorial service at VUT, close friend and former University of Limpopo classmate, Jacob Thamaga, reflected on their academic journey together. He recalled how they studied side by side and celebrated their graduation milestones — including their master’s degrees.
Thamaga is now a senior official at VUT. He said he worked with Matlakala at Radio Turf and at the University of Limpopo’s Centre for Academic Excellence. Also on a Wits university research project.
