Befitting honour for veteran reggae icon

Veteran reggae musician Kha­khathi Tshisikule of the Khakhathi and Friends ensemble was honoured by Mvelaphanda Projects and Training Centre during a special function held at the centre’s premises at Tshisahulu outside Thohoyandou.

Khakhati recently released another song, Ndila Dzi a Lwa, to add to hits such as Zwimandlozini and Rido di Dzulela Madakani. He reckons he has moved into a new era of his musical career and his life.

The latest honour was bestowed on him by the Mvelaphanda centre’s founder, Ms Esther Mushaathama, who said she had been following Tshisikule for years.

“This man is a prophet. Many of the things that he sings about end up becoming a reality. He is one of the first artists to introduce reggae music in this part of the world (at a time) when it was not fashionable and not selling. I found that his music had changed many a life and what struck me was that he has also converted to Christianity and he is taking his life to another level,” she said.
Mushaathama said she would continue identifying individuals who were doing exceptional work in the community and reward them accordingly.  Khakhathi received a trophy, a certificate, R1 000 cash and a voucher of R2 000 to use on a trip to Durban later this year.

When receiving the award, Tshisikule said he was humbled. “I am a changed man who has given his life to God, and since I converted, everything seems to count in my favour. People seem to notice me more than before, my prophetic music seems to be touching many lives. I am now leading an exemplary life, free from drugs and alcohol, and I am expecting many good things this year,” he said.

He said he was happy that even if he died, his music would be there for generations to come.

News - Date: 20 May 2015

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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