Skhokho: Talent that changed the music scene

The 41-year-old musician died in the early hours of Monday, succumbing to injuries he sustained in a car accident that happened Sunday night in Phakalane. Mapetla, who shot to fame at the age of 23 in the early 2000s when his kwaito album, Phantsi’ Phezulu took the country by storm, had become a household name in the local music scene.

With smash hits like Ahh, Jorotane, and Ma Get Down, ‘Mapetla’s album became the most sought-after in the market. ‘Mapetla’s hits even attracted attention from South Africa, the home of kwaito where it featured highly on music channels. As the nation mourns the fallen hero, his friends in the music industry have described him as a musical giant whose versatility and talent were second to none.