Veteran broadcaster Dumile Mateza passes

Sourced: Twitter

In a statement to Times Live, the Mateza family confirmed his passing, “Our beloved succumbed to cancer on 1 February 2022. His passing brings an end to a remarkable career in sports, news actuality and magazine broadcasting. Dumile will be sorely missed by his wife, children and extended family.”

Saddened to hear of the untimely passing of veteran and iconic broadcaster and commentator Dumile Mateza, a wonderful colleague for many years during my tenure at SABC. Thank you for your passion and great influence on vernecular language broadcasting. #RIPDumileMateza pic.twitter.com/WUIdnU6SRT

— Khanyi Magubane (@Khanyi_Magubane) February 1, 2022

In the early 1980s, he gained popularity as a sports commentator at SABC. Renowned for his versatility, he was able to comment in English, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans.

Besides sport commentary, Mateza was passionate about writing and the entire journalism fraternity. Those who worked closely with him knew how he was never shy to express his views on the state of journalism.

Oh my word this is so sad #RIPDumileMateza pic.twitter.com/z7CBAQOTGY

— Ashraf Garda (@AshrafGarda) February 1, 2022

Timothy Molobi, City Press’ sport and news editor, said, “Mr Mateza was a real doyen of sports commentary as he would take you with him to events. It was rare to find someone who was at home in three different sporting codes - rugby, football and boxing and Mr Mateza was there with the best - a rare breed indeed. Just his voice would make you ask for more, especially when he drifted away from the game to talk about something else unrelated. He was an inspiration to many of us who looked up to him when we first came into the sports industry and learnt a lot from him. We will clearly miss his insightful knowledge of the sporting codes, and his humour. May his soul rest in peace.”

Mathews Mpete, sport editor at Daily Sun, paid tribute, “One of the very few breeds in sportscasting, a man of very few words, but vocal when faced with a microphone and TV cameras. In his heydays, Ntate Mateza, as I used to call him, was one of the sports journalists who inspired many aspiring broadcasters into the field, let alone potential boxers."

“This is the reason Boxing SA was at its peak when he was in their board, they too have lost a strategic mentor. He taught us a lot and for that we are grateful to his family for having borrowed him to us, and we indeed reaped a lot from his craft. Lala ngoxolo Ntate Mateza,” Mpete concluded.

A former Boxing South Africa board member and a major name in the broadcasting industry, he will be missed by fans and those who had the privilege of working with him.

Very few people are as honest as he was about their views on everything. He didn't care if his views were not popular. Dumile Mateza would share them when we met on the corridors & in public and was quick to say "nonsense, Zondi" when he disagreed. Man! #RIPDumileMateza pic.twitter.com/M5u3NS9kUj

— Siphumelele Zondi (@SZondi) February 1, 2022