Family, friends and colleagues of the late veteran broadcaster Lungiswa “Lulu” Haarmans gathered last week to celebrate her colorful life.
The former Umhlobo Wenene presenter was remembered for her beautiful body of art behind the mic that she delivered to her listeners for many years.
Speakers took turns on the podium at her memorial service on Thursday praising Haarmans, some saying she has raised the bar for radio.
A friend and colleague of the deceased, Sibongile James, reminisced on their journey as women who were passionate about broadcasting.
“I shared a flat with her, worked with her and lived with her through all that life gives to a person. She was so good at her job so much that when you were working with her, you had to do proper research before you go on air,” said James.
Her boss Keith Ngesi, the owner of Keith Ngesi Radio (KNR), worked with Haarmans after she was fired by the public broadcaster in 2019. He said he is torn apart by her departure.
“I can talk about Lulu from her being in community radio stations to the public broadcaster, but I choose to focus on her working with us at KNR,” Ngesi said.
“When we started working together, I was nervous because she was of a higher calibre. Her name was big but she was not like that, she made sure that her colleagues, who are less experienced than her, do not feel small in her presence.”
Haarmans died on Friday last week at the age of 41. She will be buried on Saturday in Makhanda, Eastern Cape.
The former presenter who hosted Khanya Gqiyazana between 9-12pm at the Eastern Cape-based radio station died recently, after being rushed at a hospital.
Haarmans, who won numerous radio awards while working for the station, posted on social media that people need to always watch out for the signs, because they may die unexpectedly, any day.
According to a source and one of her former colleagues, Haarmans has been battling an unknown health condition that worsened after she lost her job at the radio station.
Haarmans was fired from the station in 2019 after she allegedly missed one of the station’s events.