Malaika star Jabu Ndaba dies

| Wednesday July 16, 2008 00:00

 

The star, who had been battling TB and repeatedly denied he was HIV-positive, died in Johannesburg on Monday.

Malaika's manager Stacey Gule told New Zimbabwe.com: 'Jabu passed away at 12.13 this afternoon (Monday) at Tshepong Hospital in Klerksdorp. 'He had TB and complications developed from that. The whole group is absolutely devastated.'

Ndaba was taken ill on a tour of Namibia last year and had not recovered and missed Malaika's last two UK tours, and one of Canada on the international front. His fragility abetted in March, allowing him to join band members Tshedi Mholo and Bongani Nchang on their Australian tour.

Although Ndaba sang on some of the group's songs in their new album, Sekunjalo, he was featured in the videos as an animation because of his condition.

The star's lengthy sickness also hit his pocket hard. In February this year, it was revealed he owed a hospital R200, 000 and his girlfriend, Kedibone Mooka, dumped him.
One newspaper claimed Mooka took flight after Jabu's former girlfriend Pontsho Maragelo, from Meadowlands, Soweto, died of an AIDS-related illness. But Ndaba had always insisted he was suffering from TB, and was buoyant about his chances of recovery.

'I am HIV-negative, despite people thinking I'm positive. I don't have AIDS,' he told a South African newspaper this year.
(New Zimbabwe)