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How diabetes financially drained Tsekeleke

Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng of Incredible Happenings Church praying for Tsekeleke who is battling diabetes. Pic: Ngwako Malatji. © Sunday World
Pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng of Incredible Happenings Church praying for Tsekeleke who is battling diabetes. Pic: Ngwako Malatji. © Sunday World

A close friend of Tsekeleke has revealed how the star’s aggressive battle with diabetes stripped him of his finances‚ left him with costly medical bills and prevented him from providing as a breadwinner to his family.

Tsekeleke’s mentor Max “Chief” Mjamba told TshisaLIVE that his friend had not been able to work or keep commitments in the last few months of his life because of his hospitalisation due to diabetes. He said that this meant Tsekeleke missed out on a number of opportunities to earn money and resulted in the Fatty Boom Boom singer struggling financially at the time of his death.

“The fact that he had to get help in a government hospital will tell you about his financial situation. He was not able to afford a private hospital or doctor and the longer he was in hospital the less he was able to earn. He did not perform at gigs and he didn’t make any public appearances‚” Mjamba said.

He said that Tsekeleke did not save to look after his health and could not afford his astronomical hospital bill. Instead the star was supported financially by close friends‚ including some from his record label Kalawa Jazmee.

“Me‚ Spikiri and a few others have promised to look after (pay) the hospital bills. It is a lot but it is something we have said we will do. We will not entertain the thought that our friend was broke‚” Mjamba said

He said that Tsekeleke had committed to changing his life shortly after his initial hospitalisation late last year‚ which included going on a weight-loss program and trying to study further.

“I told him that something needed to change. He needed to lose weight and study further. He needed to look after himself. He agreed‚ and for a few days we would walk together and even looked at tertiary (institutions to study at)‚” Mjamba added.

He was also working on a comeback single with Professor‚ Spikiri and several others at the time of his hospitalisation.

Mjamba added that Tsekeleke may have lost money from being sick but did not lose friends.

“Everybody loved him. They wanted to be with him all the time. He may have lost a lot but not his friends‚” Mjamba said.

Tsekeleke died at a Vosloorus hospital at around 7pm on Tuesday evening after complications relating to diabetes.

 

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