by Thinus Ferreira
The Daily Thetha presenter on SABC1 and Metro FM newsreader Pearl Shongwe had died. She was 35.
Pearl Shongwe died in her sleep in her Polo Fields apartment in the north of Johannesburg and her body was discovered by neighbours today. The cause of her death is not yet known.
"It is with great sadness that the Shongwe family announces the untimely passing of our beloved daughter Ntombifuthi Pearl Shongwe. She passed away in her sleep," her family through spokesperson Khehla Tshabalala, said in a statement.
"Our daughter was a celebrated radio broadcaster and TV presenter. Her presence will forever live on in our hearts. We kindly request that we be given the privacy to mourn her passing during this trying time."
The SABC in a statement on social media on Tuesday said "The SABC has learned through the family of Pearl Shongwe that she has sadly passed away. The SABC extends its heartfelt condolences to the Shongwe Family".
Thulisile Nhlapo, acting SABC1 channel head, in a statement says "This is a huge loss for the channel, and at only 35 years old, Pearl was at the prime of her career and contributed a lot to building knowledgeable youth and imparted her knowledge about current issues to the youth of Africa".
"SABC1 will forever be grateful for all she has done on the channel."
Col Noxolo Kweza, Gauteng police spokesperson, said in a statement that "Midrand police have opened an inquest docket after a 35-year-old woman was found dead today. The inquest will assist in establishing the cause of death. The woman will only be identified once the family has been notified".
Pearl Shongwe was a newsreader on Metro FM's Touch Drive and was also a sports presenter on the SABC's Sports Live over weekends on SABC News (DStv 404) and was a co-presenter on SABC2's Morning Live alongside Simphiwe Ncongwane.
Pearl Shongwe had done voiceover work for several TV shows, including the youth sport show Sports Buzz, and was a presenter on SABC1's One Day Leader. She co-founded the non-government organisation (NGO), Sakha-Isizwe, working to uplift poor communities through education together with Nhlanhla Khumalo, a literacy specialist.
Born in Soweto on3 January 1987, Pearl Shongwe was a former Miss Soweto finalist in 2011 and started her career in broadcasting when she started going to auditions for TV commercials when she was 12 years old.
In 2010 Pearl Shongwe started working for the youth radio station YFM as an entertainment reporter for two years. She went on to work as a floor MC at Silverstar Casino.
In 2019 Pearl Shongwe climbed and conquered the highest peak in Africa when she joined a summit to Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya in support of the Trek for Mandela as part of the Caring4Girls initiative run by the Imbumba Foundation.
