Relebogile Mabotja opens up about how she handles difficult topics on her show

TV host and radio presenter Relebogile Mabotja seems calm and composed when she conducts her interviews on her show Unpacked with Relebogile Mabotja.

But speaking to TshisaLIVE Relebogile revealed it's not always the case and there's one particular story that made her emotional and she couldn't hold back the tears.

The episode, My child drowned, featured a mother whose four-year old daughter drowned while visiting her grandmother. 

“I was scared and nervous about that topic, because in our family we have the experience of a little one, a five-year-old, who drowned in a family pool. So it was very personal, it was triggering and I was mentally prepared before going into the conversation.

“I did not anticipate how emotionally expressive the guest was going to be and I think that speaks to grief, because you might think 'oh, something happened a few years ago', the way she expressed herself and her grief and her pain was so raw and fresh and it was like her daughter drowned the day before or just that morning,” she said. 

The talk-show host said she battled to keep her tears away.

“So that was a particularly difficult episode for me, I could not stop the tears from coming because I could so relate to her pain and that frustration of how does the little one drown? I think it almost feels so sudden and they are just so young. It's very, very painful and that was a hectic episode.”

The subject matter on Unpacked with Relebogile Mabotja varies and most episodes are emotionally charged, with her guests opening up. She tries her best to package the show so that both the viewer and guest are comfortable

“I have been nervous about one or two subjects just in terms of how we have approached the subject matter. I’m not an expert being the face and the voice of the show, I’m not an expert on some highly sensitive issues and I always hope that this space is safe not just for the guests, but for the people watching at home as well. You never want to make anyone feel otherwise about something that you are covering, because you are in the position of being able to offend or hurt people even if we do it completely unintentionally.”

With a career in broadcasting that spans for more than 10 years, Relebogile said she is still inspired to stay in broadcasting.

“Being a mom, for example, has increased my capacity and that in itself has been inspiring. Now suddenly I feel like I can do so many more things than I thought I could before, with different motivation. The world is changing and I think I am getting a clearer picture as to what my purpose in it is and how I can cement myself in this changing world.

“You don’t have to look far to be inspired and keep evolving. Look at the people around you, look at the things happening around you, look at inspiring people in our country that are doing amazing things, young people that are breaking down barriers and overcoming such crazy adversities just to live out their best life and their purposes.”