Patience Bambalele

Patience Bambalele

A phone call from the late kwaito queen, Lebo Ma-thosa, four hours before her fatal accident is still haunting new gospel singer Nanky Rikhotso.

A close friend of the late Mathosa, Rikhotso says she is now accused of having been Mathosa's lesbian lover.

Rikhotso says some friends and her own relatives are harassing and abusing her over the jacket and other gifts she got from Mathosa.

Now, 11 months after Mathosa died in a car crash, Rikhotso has decided to speak out.

"I find myself answering questions like why of all people did Lebo give me her ring and jacket, and had also told me a lot of personal things before she died.

"They want to know why she was calling me on that Sunday at 11pm."

Asked if she was not trying to attract publicity, she said: "It was very difficult for me to speak about this. I only notice now that I had made an impact in her life because her friends told me that she used to talk a lot about me. I think she knew she was going to die."

Rikhotso believes that she had failed Mathosa. She said on the fateful Sunday, Mathosa had wished to go to church with her.

But she avoided her and went alone.