Gauteng MEC for finance and e-government Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko’s much publicised campaign to help ailing kwaito star Zola 7 has ended abruptly after the star’s family asked her to stop the campaign.
This follows allegations by the MEC that the superstar’s wife had urged him to go to rehab and squabbles within his family on whether this is the best course of action.
Nkomo-Ralehoko, in a video clip seen by Sunday World, also pleaded with members of the public to encourage the award-winning recording superstar, whose real name is Bonginkosi Dlamini, to go to rehab. The MEC did not indicate why Zola must go to rehab.
“The good thing is the wife was saying that Zola wants to go to rehab, so I want people like yourself to convince Zola that he must go to rehab and be better so that he can go out and get these opportunities because indeed we can’t take him among the children whilst we know that he is not fine,” she said in the clip.
Nkomo-Ralehoko last month met the Ghetto Fabulous and Mdlwembe hitmaker in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, as part of her Heart 2 Heart Dialogue programme.
The MEC initiated the dialogue to link Zola 7 with her programme so that he would motivate the youth on being responsible as soon as he was well.
In a candid interview on Podcast and Chill with MacG last year, Zola 7 said he was diagnosed with epilepsy three years ago.
An official in Nkomo- Ralehoko’s office said the future of the partnership with Zola 7 is now uncertain.
“Zola 7’s family has not yet decided whether he should go to rehab. This was informed by many other things including the argument over which banking details the public should use to help him financially. That is why the MEC decided to wait until their
differences have been resolved,” the source said.
Nkomo-Ralehoko’s spokesperson, Nhlanhla Cebekhulu, confirmed the MEC had temporarily halted her campaign to help Zola 7 after being asked to do so by the artist’s family.
“The family has asked the MEC to give them privacy to deal with the matter, so she will not make any comment at this stage,” he said.
Zola did not respond to questions sent to him.
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