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‘Guilt is eating him alive’ – Social media reacts to Somizi’s speech at Zahara memorial
'I'm one of the people who owes her an apology,' Somizi Mhlongo said at the memorial.
Picture: Instagram @somizi
South African media personality and television presenter, Somizi Mhlongo opened a can of worms when he spoke about how they have failed critically acclaim singer, Zahara, as an industry and as friends.
The Idols SA judge first opened up about the horrible way in which the late Zahara was treated by peers in the industry in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
The Lolilwe hitmaker passed away late on Monday, 11 December at a private hospital in Johannesburg.
‘Zahara hardly given her flowers’
Addressing his fans and followers in a white bathrobe from his bathroom, Somizi asked them to give him some of their time as he wanted to talk about how human beings were more respectful and fearful of death than of life.
The flamboyant personality said when he first heard Zahara was in hospital and that she wasn’t doing well, he thought about what would happen if anything should happen to her and if she doesn’t make it, adding he knew she would become an overnight hero and icon.
“People are going to be saying how the industry has lost an icon, and how she is gone too soon, how she was an amazing vocalist. And yet we all know that in reality, she was one of the most mocked personalities. People celebrated her downfall. People used to make fun of her situations. We knew she had her own fair share of hardships, but she was hardly given her flowers,” he said.
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This, the Sarafina actor said, is the part that disappointed him about people, adding that the world would be so beautiful “if we celebrated life and each other and if we were respectful of life and fearful of taking life for granted”.
“You have to die for you to be acknowledged. You have to die for you to be more respected. You have to die for you to be more honoured and to be given your flowers,” he continued in his lengthy post.
He added that the very same people whose hearts are now broken – including himself – will be flying to Eastern Cape if she is buried there when they have never ever been to her house or made an effort to check up on her.
Somizi concluded his video post promising himself to do better and to be better.
Somizi speech
Speaking at Zahara’s memorial service at Rhema Bible Church on Thursday, Somizi brought up his video post reverberating how they have failed her as an industry and as friends, and that they owe her an apology.
“I’m one of the people who owes her an apology. There was a time when I hosted the Sama awards and I made a joke about her drinking and stuff, and only later years you realise, what you say to people, how you make people feel, it’s very important to realise.
“I learned my lesson because I took it for granted that, as a joke, you don’t realize how much you hurt people. And I realised later that I’ve hurt her and luckily we had time to reconcile and become friends again.”
READ MORE: Eastern Cape and Gauteng government to assist in Zahara’s funeral arrangements
But, he added, when Zahara needed him, he was nowhere to be found.
“Where were we? When we could have helped as a tjommie, we were carrying on with our lives. We need to internally apologise to her.”
Somizi said they need to stop making fun of other people’s downfalls and if you can’t help or contribute positively, shut up.
He concluded his speech to great applause when asking everyone to do better and to be better.
Zahara will be laid to rest in the Eastern Cape just before Christmas.
Here are some reactions to Somizi’s memorial speech:
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