FELICIA MABUZA TO RECEIVE KHAMANGA

South African businesswoman and philanthropist, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle will be awarded one of the National Orders from President Cyril Ramaphosa next month.

Although the Presidency has not issued out invites to the media to cover the event, Zimoja has it on good authority that Mabuza-Suttle is one of the recipients. 

The Presidency will honour recepients around Freedom Day or a day after, with the following current orders, decorations and medals - Nkwe (Leopard) decorations for bravery, Protea Decoration for Merit, Order of the Baobab, Order of Ikhamanga, Order of Luthuli, Order Mapungubwe, Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo and the Order of Mendi for Bravery. 

The source who told Zimoja about Mabuza-Suttle?s highest order, said government has already informed her about the Order she will receive. 

"She has already been informed since she is in between & Atlanta, Georgia in the US where she stays to come and receive the award. 

"This award is the highest order that any South African can receive from government," said the source. 

The closing date for this year?s nominations closed on 31 August 2023.

Mabuza-Suttle, who turns 74 on June 3, moved to the US was one of the black South Africans who moved to study overseas in the 1960s and 70s to evade the apartheid government.

She studied at Marquette University in the United States. In the 80s, she earned a BA in journalism, followed by an MA in Mass Communication.

She came back to the country and worked at Radio Bop in the then Bantustan country of the Bophuthatswana, which was under Lucas Mangope. 

She then returned to South Africa in 1990 after political organisations were unbanned. 

She worked at the South African Airways. She began her television career at the SABC. 

ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK TV HOSTS 

She also hosted a popular talk show named The Felicia Mabuza-Shuttle Show where she tackled different topics - from injustice to politics of the day. 

She also ran a popular restaurant, Back of the Moon at the Gold Reef Theme Park, which has since closed down. 

At some point, Mabuza-Shuttle, who was born in Sophiatown, Joburg, saw her show being compared to that if US businesswoman and media personality, Oprah Winfrey.