Durban – Monday, 3 June 2024 – Lotus FM is sad to announce the retirement of Mala Lutchmanan, who began her stint at the station in 1995, as she also celebrates 28 years at Lotus FM. This excludes the one year that Lutchmanan spent teaching in England. Upon her return from England, she was offered a contract to continue working with the public broadcaster.

In addition to her regular programmes, ‘Inisai Mazhai’ and ‘The Best of Kodambakkam’, she stood in as a stand in presenter for programmes like ‘Sangeetha Nilaiyamu’, ‘Bakthi Sangeeth’, ‘LocalVocal’ and special programmes for ‘Sivaraathri’ and ‘Krishna Janmasthami’. Thus far, she has presented about 3000 programmes.

Qualified as an educator, Lutchmanan taught at an LSEN school until her retirement a year ago. Further, she has produced 22 publications to date (this include books and CDs). Included in these publications are the biography of Nelson Mandela in Tamil, Valliamma- a child soldier, 2 CDs on spoken Tamil and a set of readers for LSEN learners.

Luchmanan enjoyed a cordial relationship with her colleagues and management at Lotus FM. She acknowledges all of them who played a pivotal role in her journey at Lotus FM.

She has received many awards from India and South Africa. Lutchmanan said that it was a well thought out decision to leave and hand over the baton to someone else. She further said that she will now have more time to complete her PhD and invest more time to her other passion which is writing.

Alvin Pillay, Lotus FM’s Programme Manager stated that, “Mala’s presence at Lotus FM has been nothing short of invaluable. Her passion for radio and unwavering commitment to delivering quality content have left an indelible mark on our team and listeners alike. Through her knowledge and engaging broadcasts, she has enriched the lives of countless individuals and established herself as a beloved figure within our community. We wish Mala all the best in her future endeavours and thank her for her exceptional service to Lotus FM.”

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Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

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