Moja LOVE recently announced the passing of one of the channel's talents, Sithembele Clearance Gaju, famously known as Gogo Mathambo, the presenter of Fake Gobela.

TALENTED

The channel expressed how his death comes as a huge loss to the channel as he was talented and passionate about making a difference in the community. "His death comes as a huge loss to the channel as he was talented and passionate about making a difference in the community. Gogo Mathambo displayed a courageous spirit in exposing fake sangomas and gobelas and the injustices in that space. The channel sends its deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans. His contribution will be hugely missed.' the channel said in a statement yesterday.

His eldest brother, Xolile Gaju said he will miss his brother's fun, caring and bubbly personality. "He was a happy person, who loved making jokes and seeing everyone happy," Xolile said. He added that Gogo Mathabo was a truthful person and confronted awkward situations head-on. "From a young age, he loved the limelight. His dream was to be on TV and he fulfilled it." Before joining Moja Love, Gogo Mathambo worked at eMalahleni Radio station in Mpumalanga. "He worked there for about six months. Even now, the station hosted a tribute show for him. Before that, he was self-employed and was an entrepreneur," Xolile added.

HIS LAST DAYS

Gogo Mathambo, who would have turned 38 on Sunday 26 November, will be buried on Saturday. "We would have buried him on his birthday but he planned things before his passing. On the Saturday, before his death, he said he missed our grandmother in Nelspruit and went to visit her. He planned to be back on Tuesday. On Sunday, he made one of his 'serious jokes' to the elders saying when he dies one day, he wants to be buried at 8AM and his service should start at 5AM. He asked to be buried with our grannies in Kwa-Ndebele. He never explained why and he said all of this jokingly," Xolile adds. According to Xolile, no one took him seriously, but said it's only now that it makes sense for everyone as clearly, hecould feel his last days were coming. "Even when he was sick, he was full of jokes."

FALLING ILL

Upon visiting his grandmother, Xolile said Gogo Mathambo arrived home with a light fever. "He complained about a fever on Saturday, which he got after coming from a cleansing he had done with a client at the river," he said. "My brother was the kind of person who, when he had flu, would be fragile, Ebesaba amakhaza (He was scared of the cold). When he arrived at our granny's place, he had a cough but it was nothing that would make him go to the hospital and see a doctor. But on Monday, our granny said he was slightly weak, but nothing serious," Xolile added. On the morning of his death, "Magogo says she found him already cold, in bed. She would hear him cough at night but that night, he was quiet and when she went to check up on him in the morning, she found him cold and was suspicious. She phoned a friend, who is a nurse, and when she arrived, she called paramedics who confirmed that he had died." Xolile said, adding that although his family has lost a breadwinner, they are happy he got to fulfil his purpose of being on television. Gogo Mathambo will be laid to rest at his home in KwaNdebele on Saturday.