THE legend of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mdletshe Albert Mazibuko, passed away on Sunday late, after being ill as he insisted to his brother in the hospital where he wanted to be hidden before it was enough the next day.
Mazibuko (77) died in a hospital in Durban, after a short illness. His brother Abednigo Mazibuko, who once sang in Mambazo before retiring, said Mazibuko told himself that he wanted to be hidden in Ntabamhlophe, Estcourt.
“He didn’t start, he said a long time ago that when he leaves, he wants to go home. Even this time when he got sick, I went to see him at the hospital on Saturday, and he will leave on Sunday, he said, put me next to my brother. You can see over here near the gate. I was disappointed because I was hoping that this person would be alive, and then he said such difficult words. He said put me at home, I really want to go home next to my brother. He scared me and he is speaking for the last time,” said Abednigo.
Abednigo was speaking at a press conference in Clermont, yesterday, at the home of the late Mambazo founder, Joseph Shabalala. He said his brother was ill for a short time but he was strong until he underwent surgery.
He described him as a person who was respectful, who respected everyone regardless of whether they were young or old. He said they lost the lamp that had saved the family’s history. He concluded by thanking the support and said that they received calls and messages even from overseas.
Russel Mthembu, a retired Mambazo member, said Mazibuko always encouraged them to work hard.
“He said while we were farming, the day we succeeded the soil would turn to gold, it happened as he said.”
Ladysmith Black Mambazo returned on Sunday, South Africa, after completing the United States of America (USA) tour.
One of its leaders, Sibongiseni Shabalala, said that when they got the news of Mazibuko’s passing, they were going to check the music equipment before their concert and it was difficult to continue.
“There were four to five events left for us to finish and come back. We continued to do it and addressed it to Mazibuko because we knew that if he was there, he would encourage us to continue on the same path he was on.”
He said Mazibuko, who joined Mambazo in 1969 and had retired, was still playing a role in the team when they were training and reminding them where they were going astray.
“We have learned a lot from father Mazibuko since we joined in 1993. Determination, punctuality and love of work we learned while in Mambazweni, and cooperation and listening to each other is what makes the dream come true,” said Sibongiseni.
Sibongiseni revealed that they asked to be waited for when they returned from abroad to say goodbye before the funeral. Mazibuko will be remembered at the service to be held at CFCI in Berea, Durban at 10 am tomorrow. The funeral service will be held at Mtshezi High School, Estcourt on Saturday morning.
