Popular radio DJ turned academic, VVO Mkhize, is Isolezwe’s new columnist on African cultural and traditional issues.

Currently a professor at the CIDA City Campus Johannesburg, Mkhize was a popular host on Ukhozi FM in the 1980s and 1990s. After his stint on the air, he returned to the world of academics and today spends much of his time doing research into African beliefs and religion.

Mkhize, who replaces the late Reggie Khumalo, commenced writing for Isolezwe in December last year bringing a new perspective on a wide range of issues. He is well-travelled, regularly visiting the East and various parts of Africa.

His column titled "Ezasemsamo", which appears every second Tuesday, has drawn a lot of questions from readers anxious for their traditions’ significance and history to be explained.

Isolezwe Editor, Thulani Mbatha, says Mkhize’s column adds a totally new dimension to the title. “I think it is important to look at issues and respond to people’s inquiries. We have the ideal person in VVO who has the answers to a host of cultural and traditional queries, including how our Zulu culture fits in with modern culture.

“His column is another way in which we strive to take our readers from the past into the present and help to prepare them for what the future has in store,” says Mbatha.