Legendary musician Sello “Chicco” Twala on Saturday gave a heartfelt tribute to celebrate the life of award-winning singer and actress, Winnie Khumalo at her funeral in Soweto.
Government officials, family members, dignitaries and arts industry players packed the Protea South Multipurpose Centre where speaker after speaker paid tribute to the departed star who passed away at the age of 51 on January 7, after a brief illness.
In his tribute, Chicco said artists in South Africa, including Khumalo, have been neglected and have suffered in private.
“The music industry generates annually more than R8 billion, but 90 percent of the money we generate goes to our employees who administer our money. They have medical aids, they have all the benefits. What we have is burial aids, not medical aids. They only put money aside for us when we are dead.
“Winnie does not deserve to die the way she did. She suffered alone. I saw Winnie two days before she passed on. What I saw is not okay. The likes of Winnie and many of our late musicians were instrumental in generating the billions in our sector, (and they) deserve better. I want the government, our government to do something about that,” Chicco addressed mourners including Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie.
Twala reminded mourners that it was Khumalo’s voice which played a key role, around 2009, in re-uniting African National Congress at the peak of the breakaway Congress of the People (Cope) which was eating away considerably from the ANC. A campaign was then devised, using songs to unite the ANC membership.
“We recall the speech made by former minister Jeff Radebe. It was Winnie’s voice that brought together the disgruntled ANC members who were threatening to defect to Cope in 2009. ANC was disorganised and Winnie’s voice came and united the ANC, my ANC. They disappointed me. I am a member of the ANC and for them not to fight for us, when we fought for them is a shame,” he said.
“We need decisive leadership that will protect the likes of Winnie Khumalo and the musicians that are still alive,” he said.
Twala said corruption is the reason many artists die in a sea of poverty, with no one to protect them.
“Corruption is the reason why we have situations like this. Winnie would never have died the way she did. She suffered, she didn’t have a medical aid. We do not have a government that is protecting us,” he said.
Twala said days before her demise, Khumalo was complaining about the situation in the music industry in South Africa.
To Khumalo’s family, Twala announced that her house bond would be paid off.
“Our organisation is going to pay off the bond this year,” he concluded.
Former Minister of in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, who was the singer’s close friend, said he last saw her a month ago. He had been following Winnie’s music career from a distance and was highly impressed by her deep understanding of young people.
Radebe reflected back to the time where he became close with Winnie in 2008. This was when the ANC was faced with a major political crisis.
“As the head of policy, I had to devise a plan of defusing the breakaway party Cope, as it was gaining momentum amongst our people. So, I met Chicco Twala to develop a fine bad campaign using music as a critical weapon,” said Radebe.
Who is Winnie Khumalo?
Khumalo was born in Mofolo, north Soweto, and began her music career at the age of 15. She released her debut album Hey Laitie, Tshina Tshina, which was produced by music legend Sello Chicco Twala.
In the early 1980s, she released a gospel album titled Dlamini, followed by a gospel album titled Izoni Zami in the 1990s, produced by Paster Langa Dube.
Khumalo has worked with notable musicians such as the late Brenda Fassie as a backing vocalist and collaborated with the likes of Pure Magic Sipho Mbele, Brothers of Peace (B.O.P) Bongo Maffin, Zonke Dikana and Dj Cleo.
Khumalo has graced small television screens on SABC’s series Mponeng and Muvhango, portraying the role of a sangoma (traditional healer).
She also played in a stage play called The Journey, including Thwala’s film Madluphuthu.
After taking a break from the music industry to raise her children, Khumalo made a successful comeback in 2008, with a mature album titled I Just Wanna Live My Life, which was produced and distributed by Kalawa Jazzmee Records Oskido “Oscar” Mdlongwa.
The album was a hit, selling more than 25,000 copies and earned a gold record, with its smash single, I Just Wanna Live My Life, dominating the music charts, receiving nominations, including the Channel O Music Awards.
Khumalo went on to take the music industry by storm by releasing another hit song titled Mina Ngiyohlala Nginje, composed by Twala, which saw her rocking the stage with former president Jacob Zume during the 2009 African National Congress (ANC) election campaigns.
Following the news of her death, social media has been flooded with tributes from fans, supporters and the public paying tribute and honouring the late singer.
IOL