There was no official public announcement from the SABC about the exit from the veteran TV executive but the broadcaster confirmed Clara Nzima's departure in response to a media enquiry.
Sane Zondi is SABC1's head of programming and will be the top exec in charge of SABC1 in an acting capacity until a permanent replacement and appointment is made.
Sister channel SABC3 is likewise again without a permanent channel head following the exit of Aisha Mohamed last month, with David Makubyane, general manager for TV channels, standing in as acting SABC3 channel head for the time being.
Clara Nzima retired on 31 July after 35 years with the South African Broadcasting Corporation that she joined back in 1983 as a black woman during the apartheid heydey of the so-called "His Master's Voice" when the SABC more functioning as a state rather than a public broadcaster, was a National Party propaganda mouthpiece.
Clara Nzima started out as a production secretary and rose through the ranks over three decades and untold management and production turbulence within the SABC, to become commissioning editor, programme manager and eventually channel head.
She was SABC1 programme manager for 2 decades - from 1996 to 2016 - after which she became SABC1 channel head in September 2016 after she was acting channel head since February 2016.
Besides writing scripts for youth dramas like Zikhethele and Mina Nawe, Clara Nzima was the first commissioning editor on ratings juggernaut Generations that revolutionised SABC1's schedule, and in later years was responsible for SABC1's overall programming strategy as the public broadcaster's youth-focused channel.
Clara Nzima was part of the team who produced the country and the SABC's first Zulu clay animation show, and represented the SABC over many years at film festivals and TV and film markets around the world.
Ran South Africa's most-watched TV channel
In a Channel Africa radio in late-2016, Clara Nzima explained that "coming into television was somewhat by chance".
"I was just out of university looking for a job," she said "and the SABC was just one of the places I applied to and fortunately I got called in. In my application - not knowing television at all because at that time it was very new." TV started in SA in 1976.
"I got in as a production secretary. At that time the SABC still had a training institution internally, so we went for training for 6 months, and from there I went on to do youth and children's programmes which was quite fun, and also challenging."
As SABC1 channel head Clara Nzima said "it's quite an involved role because you're responsible for the running of the whole channel, whereas previously my experience was just the content side."
"Over many years since I got to management level - even as a commissioning editor in the channel - I've always insisted on having an assistant because for me succession planning is very important. I've even had an assistant as programming manager. And I think with all my assistants I've had one male - most were women."
"Development of women for me is very critical - not just within the SABC but with the productions that we deal with, even with the crew and writers - even with the stories: How do we portray women?"
Gender challenges in old SABC
About falling pregnant in the "old" SABC that was very male-dominated, Clara Nzima explained that "we were given such a hard time for taking maternity leave. We were refused maternity leave and we were told you take 6 weeks and you come back, or you're fired".
"That women these days can take 6 months is a victory. So we've come a long way within the SABC."
"The other thing that was quite refreshing in my journey with the SABC was when we had Prof Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri as a SABC chairwoman. She brought that female touch to the SABC."
"We're all born with potential. In life we will get obstacles. But what's important is what you do with those challenges. I think nothing is insurmountable. If you have the resolve to do something, it's within you," said Clara Nzima.
