SANCO expresses sadness at Mandoza’s death
The South African National Civic Organisation on Sunday joined others expressing shock and sadness at the death of acclaimed kwaito musician Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala, popularly known as Mandoza.
“We are saddened by the kwaito star’s untimely death and wish to convey our condolences to his family, millions of his fans, fellow artists, and the creative industry,” Sanco national spokesman Jabu Mahlangu said in a statement.
Mandoza had inspired youth in townships to believe in themselves, having overcome many barriers to make it in the music industry. “He was a talented musician, a trailblazer, and a hard worker whose passion was to ignite pleasure to his fans and to be the best at his craft,” he said.
Mandoza’s family confirmed that the 38-year-old musician had died after being taken to hospital on Sunday morning. His death follows a lengthy battle with cancer after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May last year. He was admitted to hospital a week ago, with his family later confirming that he was home and in a stable condition.
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In a recent interview with Drum magazine, Mandoza’s wife Mpho opened up about how they believed he would beat the cancer after he did his last performance early this month at the Thank You SABC Concert.
Mpho also told the magazine about the type of cancer Mandoza had. She said her husband had been diagnosed with pharyngeal carcinoma, which is a type of head and neck cancer, that generally starts in the throat and nose.
Social media was abuzz on Sunday with fans expressing their shock at the musician’s death.