This year, we have witnessed families lose their loved ones, the entertainment industry was not left out of it as many notable celebrities have passed away…ranging from singers to DJs and to actors.
What makes these deaths shocking is the manner in which they occurred: suicide, gun death, death in their sleep, or a sudden illness. The month of February was the worst, with the country losing three industry titans in a single month.
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- Patric Shai died in January. As we were still getting used to life without lockdown restrictions, the death of the veteran actor sent shock waves across the entertainment industry and the country. Shai committed suicide at his home in Dobsonville at the age of 65.
- Nomakula Roberts died in February. Two weeks after Shai’s death, seasoned journalist Kuli Roberts died unexpectedly, just as she was grateful for all the changes in her life since the beginning of the year. Roberts passed out in Kyalami, north of Johannesburg, and never regained consciousness. She was 49 years old at the time.
- Sandile ‘Dj Citi Lyts’ Mkhize died in February. He was the late hip-hop legend ProKid’s younger brother, and he was known for his humility and for elevating Soweto hip-hop. On Valentine’s Day, the young talent’s life was cut short when he was gunned down in Soweto. His death raised questions about gun ownership in South Africa. He passed away at the age of 34.
- Rikhado ‘Riky Rick’ Makhado died in February. With so many losses in February and advocacy talks about mental health on social media since Shai’s death, Riky Rick died of depression at the age of 34. The Boss Zonke hitmaker died by suicide and his last tweet read, “I’ll come back a stronger man. This land is still my home.”
- Boitumelo Athiel ‘Dj Dimplez’ Mooi died in March. At the age of 30, the DJ behind many South African hip-hop hits such as Riky Rick’s Amantombazane Remix and Way Up. He died of a sudden brain hemorrhage.
- Deborah Fraser died in May. When the death of the award-winning Gospel singer was announced, the Gospel community was shocked. Fraser died at the age of 56 after a brief illness; prior to her death, she was wheelchair-bound.
- Jamie Bartlett died in May. The legendary actor, best known for his role as David Genaro on etv’s Rhythm City, was in good health the night before his death, snapping with the likes of Somizi Mhlongo. An autopsy revealed that he died of cardiac arrest at the age of 55.
- Busisiwe Lurayi died in July. The actress from How to Ruin Christmas shocked the nation when her body was discovered with visible bruises and bleeding from the mouth. She died at the age of 36, far too young.
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9. Pearl Shongwe died in November. Shongwe, a newsreader and presenter on the popular radio and television show The Touchdown, died in her sleep at the age of 35.
10. Oupa John ‘DJ Sumbody’ Sefoka died in November. Businessman and Ampiano artist left the entertainment industry in shock and Cassper Nyovest devastated after he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Woodmead, Sandton at the age of 46.
