Johannesburg- “Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order,” said former US president George W Bush at the funeral of McCain.
Bush could have easily been describing Nomakula “Kuli” Roberts, who passed away on Wednesday night – leaving a void that only a person of her character could fill.
Roberts had a largeness of spirit that was unmatched. She was loud and her presence all dominating. Few journalists and media personalities had the impact she did. She would light up the room with her bubbly personality.
Her column, Bitch’s Brew, better described the complex person Kuli was – a gutsy and fearless person. People closest to her heart were her two children. She couldn’t stop talking about them. Kuli was also a friend’s friend – loyal to a fault.
The good news is that news organisations across the country are populated by journalists who learned from Kuli and who carry her legacy forward.
Her presence was of such great stature, she would mingle with anyone, anywhere. Her vibrant personality was never matched as she would crack jokes and explode in laughter when she would narrate some of the stories she had come across in the world of showbiz over her many years of service.
Having to be a party girl attending all shindigs in the country, she would bring the house down through her dance moves.
Not afraid of protocol, she once greeted the editor in the Sunday World WhatsApp group by saying “hello handsome!”- much to the group’s laughter. She was never too shy to start a conversation, be it on social media, print or wherever she found herself.
Kuli lived her life to the best ability of herself and was quick to apologise when she was wrong.
Yes, she sometimes rubbed people up the wrong way, but those who experienced her ire would quickly forget they had crossed swords with her as all would soon be forgotten and Kuli would be in the mix with them again. That was Nomakula for you.
As the late Brenda Fassie’s song says, “Umuntu Ngeke Umconfirm”, this is how unpredictable she was.
Kuli’s legacy will forever live on as many will continue to cherish the life she had. Paying tribute to Kuli, editor Wally Mbhele said:
“The Sunday World family is deeply saddened by her untimely death, which has not only left us shocked with disbelief, but has also left a huge emptiness in both the world of journalism and the entertainment industry.
“We’ll forever remember Kuli as a vibrant colleague in the Sunday World newsroom, who was always driven by the perpetual energy and powerful desire to empower young women journalists. Her passing came too soon as she still had a lot to offer both in journalism and the entertainment industry.
“True to her character as an actor, she never failed to entertain her colleagues in the newsroom with her loud voice, witty jokes and humour.”
Mbhele extended the paper’s “deepest commiserations to her family, friends, colleagues, and everybody who happened to have come across her . “We wish her well in her final sleep. We will remain forever grateful to her for her many years of selfless service to the Sunday World newspaper,” Mbhele said in his statement.
Ms Roberts supported a number of causes that were dear to her heart, including safeguarding people living with albinism and the discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community
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