She stopped releasing music a few years ago while dealing with personal and legal matters, but she hasn't stopped performing her old songs which have helped to sustain her life, pay her bills, and take care of her family. Singer and songwriter Matshediso "Tshedi' Mholo from the Afro-pop group Malaika, says life has been full of challenges but every day she soldiers on.

 TRIGGERED

Speaking on the death of rapper and dancer Constantinos "Costa Titch' Tsobanoglou (28) who died after an undiagnosed fall at Ultra Music Festival on Saturday 11 March, Tshedi says seeing the videos of the Big Flexa rapper falling on stage has triggered old traumas. "Some deaths are such triggers,' she says. "I experienced both Malaika members collapsing before my eyes on different occasions. While one went for surgery, one collapsed with me at the airport,' she adds. "No therapy, nothing. We lost one member and no therapy still from Record Label or Management.'

 STILL PERFORMING

Since her last release in 2013, Tshedi has kept a low profile but tells ZiMoja that she has never stopped taking bookings. "I've been performing songs from my album and Malaika. I have been busy. I was born for this, I cannot let it go, just like that' she says. In 2013, she released her solo album titled Victory but believes it was not a success due to bad marketing. "Sony never promoted the album the way they were supposed to. I was alone in the studio with no A&R, and no marketing. I didn't have a music video out, no poster, or anything. I had to organise my own photoshoot which they paid for. I chose producers, they contributed to people who never delivered some of the work. There was no accountability and zero budget. We worked well with them when Malaika was still at its height. But they failed me." After her album flopped, she demanded a clearance as a solo artist. "I fought until I got the clearance as a solo artist. It took a long time, they tried to delay me, but when I started speaking out about how Sony failed me, they let me go.' She is not sure If Malaika will ever release music again after Jabu Ndaba died in 2008 from Tuberculosis and she and Bongani Nchang are the only ones left. "There is no clause clarifying what happens If one member dies. We tried releasing music as a duo, but honestly, it wasn't supposed to happen.' 

RELEASING A BOOK

Tshedi says the issue with Malaika is complicated. "I am going to share a lot of things in my upcoming book. You know, people can be very naughty. With Malaika, I believed in teamwork, but it was not the case for some people. My name was removed from some songs without my knowledge. We performed, had fun, toured the world, made beautiful memories and achieved a lot, and won awards. But a lot was happening behind the scenes.' Tshedi will be releasing her tell-all autobiography titled My Destiny before September this year. "I needed to save funds to put the book together. I have been paying a lot of legal fees and taking care of my kids. So, I have had to save for the book and it's coming.'

UNHAPPY AT HOME

 In the past few years, she has also had an ongoing court case with a former neighbour and former chairman of her eight-unit estate in Roodepoort, Johannesburg where she has been an owner since 2006. "I have been harassed, bullied, intimidated, smeared, defamed, ripped apart sidelined, so I can move out of my place. I have opened numerous cases with the Hawks, at the police station, corruption watch, SAPS provincial, and Human Rights. I have been fighting but we will see.' Tshedi says she is unhappy where she lives and fears for her safety. "I am not a bhari. I am being billed and sent legal letters, my bills are inflated They want to frustrate me until I start selling. If anything happens to me, people need to know. I'm sure somewhere there is a bullet with my name on it. I bought the property, it is mine, but I am not free to be myself, or host family, and friends over. I am constantly being watched and harassed and all I want is peace.' Tshedi says she has received help from the Economic Freedom Fighters, but the incident has caused her much anxiety. "I already have anxiety and at times I received medication. My kids have had to go for counselling due to the trauma endured. But I soldier on. I am okay now. I want this entire thing to be over. It has been happening since 2016. I am fully alert to what is happening. I am in a good place, and I remain positive. My healing place is my stage, my kids, and not my home.'