Some of those who worked closely with Fats Dibeco, or “Bra Fats” as he was affectionately known, remember the Woza Weekend legend. Musa Sithole: “Fats loved what he was doing. As an elderly person he’d always expect some respect. Whenever you started concentrating more on production, he’d remind you: ‘Hey! Don’t you push me around, you must remember that I am an older person!’” Kevin Mdubeki: “I still miss him today. He shared a lot of stories with me about Newtown acting and Sophiatown... He was a gentleman; he was the last of a generation that used to dress up every day, speaking the tsotsi taal and mixing English
Nothemba, Bra Fats & Tich Mataz
and Afrikaans...”
Mataz Bra Fats & Tich
Dr Victor Ramathesele: “Those of us who followed what I called street theatre at that time had known Fats as an actor. He was very talented and a funny person; a person who laughed easily and got along with just about everybody. It
scripted necessarily, but that suited him. I just liked the way
T
Nothemba used to tease him off set.”
a pre-weekend sports show that would create hype and rally national support for events before they took place.
Nothemba Madumo: “Some of the most memorable times
Prince Phaweni was doing the trade marketing and arranged a very successful national road show to advertising
were certainly the days we recorded Woza Weekend with Tich
agencies with Barney, Tich and the soccer legend Steve “Kalamazoo” Mokone. Steve was the first black South
Mataz and Bra Fats; those days were full of fun and humour. I
African football player to play in Europe.
was an honour to work with somebody like that, who some of us had admired from a distance. He didn’t have much to do on Woza Weekend, and I think that suited him. His role was not
don’t think anyone knows how many takes of Bra Fats saying
he safe, traditional approach to sports programming in South Africa had been (and still is, to a large extent!) for a bunch of sports authorities to gather around a panel to discuss recent matches in yawn-inducing monotones. When Joe Visagie, CCV channel executive, allowed Woza Weekend first to go on air in 1994, he
was clear in his brief that this show should not give so much as a passing glance to those conventions. Here was
The choice of presenters would also surprise viewers and soon contribute to the show’s popularity. Prior to Woza
‘Woooooooooza Weekend’ we would take, for it to sound
Weekend Tich Mataz was known predominantly as a smooth-talking radio personality. With his finger on the pulse
just right and to have the effect we wanted. He was great fun
of all the latest happenings there was no doubting Tich’s charisma, but few of his fans would have cast him as a TV
and an inspiration, and used to tell us his great stories and
sports presenter! Several decades Tich’s senior, Fats Dibeco, the coach, was an established acting legend who’d cut
adventures of the past. It was very sad when he passed on and
his teeth and acquired acclaim in Newtown theatres. The Woza Weekend presenter ensemble of three was a concept
the show clearly missed his input and his presence.”
of John Matshikiza , with an entertaining anchor, the coach and the flower among the thorns. What did a suave
66 URBANATION