Eyebrows have risen over the exit of veteran anchor Noxolo Grootboom at SABC Iindaba after it was revealed, two days after her highly emotional last bow, that she has joined eNCA.
Noxolo Grootboom unveiled as eNCA anchor
On Thursday, the eMedia-owned broadcaster announced that Grootboom, after spending 37 years at the state-owned news agency, will be joining their decorated list of reporters.
Veteran news anchor, Noxolo Grootboom is joining eNCA. The anchor, who retired from the public broadcaster after 37 years, will form part of our new anchor line-up. Grootboom delivered her final broadcast on the SABC's isiXhosa news on Tuesday night. Courtesy #DStv403 pic.twitter.com/5C6eoF8AiL
— eNCA (@eNCA) April 1, 2021
The revelation struck the chords of many who had believed that Grootboom’s final broadcast at SABC Iindaba was an indication of her retirement from media.
We told them Noxolo Grootboom is retrenched by SABC and forced to take her package and leave. Emphatically, Twitter called us names not knowing that we use tools of analysis to describe what austerity is doing in all SOEs. Should Noxolo be factional at eNCA we will reject her.
— uMaghebhula (@KamvelihleGoba) April 1, 2021
after all the drama Pearl was on ,MaNoxolo is going to be working at eNCA
— Youtube:Forever Sunflower (@ForeverSunflow4) April 1, 2021
Was Grootboom retrenched?
Following this surprising reveal, which coincidentally fell on April Fools Day, murmurs were abuzz regarding the veteran broadcaster’s exit.
Was she retrenched? This question lingers on as neither SABC nor Grootboom has come forth with clarity on the break-up. You will remember that the state-owned broadcaster had recently come under fire for retrenching more than 600 workers in an effort to shave off its R2.4 billion annual wage bill.
However, in Grootboom’s case, the furore around her supposed hightail to eNCA was nothing more than an epically executed April Fools’ prank.
The eMedia broadcaster revealed the prank in a tweet, stating that “Noxolo Grootboom will NOT really be joining eNCA.”
Were you pranked? News anchor Noxolo Grootboom will NOT really be joining eNCA. Happy April Fool’s Day. https://t.co/XaFxGLhmIz
— eNCA (@eNCA) April 1, 2021
We must say, the prank left many — us included — hoodwinked and not sure what to believe. Here are some of the reactions to eNCA‘s April Fools Day prank:
I was going to be extremely disappointed why her. She deserves better than @eNCA
— Engineer Matšhela Koko (@koko_matshela) April 1, 2021
Well that was a good one
— D'Tiro Masuku (@Ditiro_Masuku) April 1, 2021