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By Lily Rose

Journalist


Mandoza’s wife: ‘I couldn’t save him but I want to help others’

Mandoza’s wife Mpho Tshabalala says she will keep his legacy alive by helping to save lives.


She will launch the ‘Mandoza Foundation’ next week – an initiative in partnership with the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).

The Nkalakatha hitmaker died in September last year after losing his battle with cancer.

Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Mpho says doctors could not help Mandoza because his cancer was picked up too late.

“The idea of the foundation was inspired by Mandoza’s journey with dealing with cancer. When doctors told him he had cancer and it was already in stage three, I thought to myself ‘what happened to stage one and two?’” she said.

Mpho hopes the foundation will help raise awareness about early detection, especially in black communities.

She says black people have the mentality that cancer is a “white man’s disease”.

The Mandoza Foundation will hold talks about the disease in townships, and mobile clinics will be set up to educate people about annual testing.

Mpho says her husband was a “loving man with a big heart” and the foundation is her way of carrying on his legacy.

“When Mandoza died, I held him in my arms. I couldn’t save him but hope I can help others through the foundation,” she told TshisaLive.

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