Phumlani Dube farewell party

Dube, who celebrated his birthday on 26 March, left Ukhozi FM in the same month as part of a series of changes to the station's 2010/11 schedule. The popular presenter has an army of listeners after working up a huge following on the Vuka Mzansi Breakfast Show and Jabulujule. Dube, known to his fans as The Big Pun, has previously worked at Gagasi 99.5 FM, East Coast Radio and Durban Youth Radio and had a stint at Gauteng youth station Yfm. He is one of the people whose voices were the first to be heard when Gagasi hit the airwaves for the first time on 13 March, 2006. The outspoken entertainer left the station he helped launch to join Ukhozi in April 2008. After more than 12 years in the media sector Dube has decided to get out of radio entirely, at least for now.

Social movement

Aside from being a popular radio man Dube is also the founder of a social movement and healthy lifestyle campaign called Nix Mapha. The project seeks to address issues of social reconstruction and moral regeneration and to encourage the young and young adults not to share their bodies with anyone or anything that is negative or destructive, such as negative peer pressure, alcohol and drug abuse, drinking and driving, unsafe sex, intergenerational sex, teenage pregnancy et al. Nix Mapha is a township lingo phrase that means I don't just give or share.

He said he has organised the farewell and birthday party to thank his fans for the love and support that they have shown him over the years.

Top-class party experience

“The event will be a top-class party experience where my fans and listeners of all the stations at which I have worked will get to see me and say goodbye,” Dube explained.

Top celebrity DJs Tira, Ntukza, Masiya, Leko (Metro FM), KingSfiso (Gagasi) and DJ Vumar (DYR) are among the disc jockeys that will be on the decks. Other entertainers include poets Mxolisi Mtshali, Sbo da Poet and Siyabonga Sikhakhane while Mondli Mzizi (So You Think You're Funny) has been confirmed as MC. Also scheduled to attend are fashionistas and a host of other radio and TV personalities. Other activities include a fashion display by some of the best designers in the province. Mary-Ann's Kitchen is the catering sponsor for the day. The party starts at 2pm till late. The cover charge is R50 before 6pm and R80 thereafter, but ladies get in free before 6pm.

Next chapter

Dube said: “It's time for me to move on and start the next chapter of my life. There are some things that I've always wanted to pursue and now that I don't have to wake up every day at 3.30 am this will allow me to take them on.”