Programme director

The bereaved Tshabalala family;

Mandoza’s wife Mpho and the children;

Honourable Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi;

Creative workers of our country;

Members of the media;

Ladies and gentleman

“My hero…My hero

He left a legacy of his own…

Who can forget his voice tone…

MDZ Tshabalala…

Lala..Thina siyoqhubeka sibala

Uzohlala uyi Nkalakatha

U taught us eKasi nge ndaba yoku’phanda

Uzoyi thola kanjani uhlele’khoneni clever

You are a star…the devil is a liar

You uplifted too many ghetto kids with dreams

Your music took many out of the streets

You fought fair ...king of the battle ring

Now let the world sing…

Nkalakatha!... Fifty-Fifty!... Respect your life clever!

In our eyes you remain a beast…

We acknowledge and appreciate the unity your music preach…

The art and music industry shall reap the fruits of your seeds…

We shall wine and dine to your music in our family feast

Let the heavens accept your soul and treat you like a king until we meet”

This poem was penned by a young poet called Gaddafi the Poet, after receiving the sad news that Mandoza is no more.

To the Tshabalala family, Mpho and the children – No words could surpass the pain you have been going through since the day that Mandoza passed on.

Our government, the people of South Africa and the creative arts industry at large share the pain of this devastating loss and will carry on the legacy left by our great icon.

Mandoza loved life. Let us continue to celebrate the extraordinary life led by this gigantic icon.

The outpouring tributes testify to the fact that Mandoza indeed touched many lives here at home and beyond our borders.

Mandoza’s music united South Africans from all walks of life. It transcended race, class and gender as it encouraged his audience to reach for their dreams, give back to their communities once successful, and to stay focussed.

Given his humble beginnings, it would never have been easy to predict the kind of impact that Mandoza would have in society. Having grown up in Soweto, he was full of ambition and was determined to rise above the conditions of the township.

I am sure you would agree with me that Mandoza’s eulogy would be incomplete without alluding to the enormous contribution that his group, Chiskop, made in revolutionizing the South African entertainment scene.

Mandoza was a treasure to South Africa. His passing leaves a gaping hole in our entertainment industry. There are no words to express how we grieve for loosing this gigantic icon.

We convey our heartfelt condolences to the Tshabalala family at this difficult time. Your loss is a loss to the nation and the world at large.

Let us rejoice in the realization that Mandoza made good use of his talents and contributed meaningfully to humanity during his lifetime.

So long.. Sgelekeqe

I thank you