‘Wish he was here’: Mandoza receives award, family visits his grave

Mpho Tshabalala, the wife of the late South African icon known as Mandoza – real name Mduduzi Thembinkosi Edmund Tshabalala visited the Nkalakatha hitmaker’s grave on Sunday with close friends and family, TshisaLIVE reported. This reportedly comes after the late Kwaito star won a SAMA29 Lifetime Achievement Award.

HALALA!: MANDOZA RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mandoza, the late South African singer-songwriter and Kwaito recording artist was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th SA Music Awards (SAMA29) recently. According to IOL, Mandoza’s award recipients include his (posthumous), Pops Mohamed, Gloria Bosman (posthumous), and Ihhashe Elimhlophe.

 

 
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The prestigious award ceremony in partnership with Africa Fest took place on 18 November at the SunBet Arena in Time Square, Menlyn, in Johannesburg, the publication added.

Mandoza biopic
Mandoza died in 2016. Image via Instagram @kwaito_legends
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THE FAMILY OF THE LATE KWAITO ICON VISITS HIS GRAVE
The Soweto-born late icon was born in 1978 and died on 18 September 2016 at 38. Weeks before he passed away, he took to the stage and performed a concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, despite having lost his sight due to illness, BBC reported.

His wife and loved ones recently visited his grave following receiving his award years after he was laid to rest. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Mandoza’s wife reportedly expressed that she experienced mixed feeling with a rollercoaster of emotions to see Mandoza get awarded.

“I have mixed emotions. We are definitely happy about the award and wish he was here to receive it and feel it. But God’s plans were different. It’s been a rollercoaster. This was a husband and father who had been there from day one,” she was quoted as saying.