Big Nuz member Mampintsha has died.
Thembinkosi Maphumulo, the father of the late musician Mampintsha, had to fight back his tears a couple of times as he told mourners at his son’s memorial service on Thursday about the last conversation he had with him.
Mampintsha’s memorial service started just before midday at the eThekwini Community Church in Durban and was attended by the deceased’s fans and friends in the music industry.
Mampintsha was born Mandla Maphumulo and was one of the remaining members of the award-winning kwaito group Big Nuz. He was married to Babes Wodumo (real name Bongekile Simelane).
KZN government to pay half of Mampintsha’s funeral costs
The KwaZulu-Natal government will pay half the costs of Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo’s funeral, said the premier’s office on Wednesday.
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Maphumulo told mourners he was still struggling to deal with his son’s death because he was sick for a short period of time before he passed on Christmas Eve at Durdoc Hospital after suffering from a stroke a week before.
“I’m sorry for being emotional because he was my only son and his passing still cuts deep… The way he died still pains me because he fell sick for a short period before he left us. He spoke to me during his time at hospital and assured me that he still walks with God and He still blesses him in his career. That meant a lot to me because most people would say that he lost his Christian values because of the music he was affiliated with,” said Maphumulo between taking long pauses fighting back the tears.
“God has always been with me even when I was raising him (Mampintsha). He (Mampintsha) was raised in church singing for a choir and that made him a people’s person. Wherever I went after his passing, people would give me their support and to me that meant I had raised a great man in Mampintsha,” said Maphumulo.
Babes Wodumo’s father Bishop Welcome Simelane, told mourners about how proud he was of having a son-in-law in like Mampintsha.
“I thank him for leaving me behind a grandson, Sponge. Mampintsha played a huge role in Babes’ music career. I thank him for that because he supported and groomed my child to be a star she is today. She can now support herself financially because of Mampintsha. You hardly get men like that these days, men who would support their spouses the way Mampintsha did,” said Simelane.
The memorial will be followed by a funeral service at the ICC in Durban on Friday.
