Babes Wodumo reflects on how the past few weeks have been ‘a lot’ for her

Bongekile Simelane, also known as “Babes Wodumo”, with her son Spontshi Maphumulo during her husband Mandla Maphumulo’s memorial service at Thekwini Community church in Durban. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Bongekile Simelane, also known as “Babes Wodumo”, with her son Spontshi Maphumulo during her husband Mandla Maphumulo’s memorial service at Thekwini Community church in Durban. Picture: Bongani Mbatha/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jan 23, 2023

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Musician Babes Wodumo has not had the best start to 2023 following the untimely passing of her husband Mandla “Mampintsha” Maphumulo on Christmas eve.

While her family were still trying to adjust to their new normal, her mother-in-law, Zamanguni Gumede, passed away in January after suffering a minor stroke.

Gumede had been admitted to hospital before her son became ill and her health is said to have worsened after his passing.

Her funeral took place at L Hall KwaMashu on Saturday, January 21, and the singer and her family, the Simelanes, were in attendance.

Wodumo shared a video of herself holding her son, commonly known as Sponge, on Mampintsha’s Facebook page. She is dressed in black and can be heard singing a church hymn.

“Past few weeks have been a lot for me … Syabonga Nkosi ngokusigcine kuze kufike la, Syabonga ngokusilondoloza ... If it was not for ukukholwa kwam ngabe asikho la …” she wrote on her caption.

Loosely translated, this means: “Thank you Lord for keeping us until this point. Thank you for keeping us ... if it was not for my faith we would not be here.”

According to a report by Daily Sun, during her speech at the funeral Wodumo revealed that she had carried the costs of her mother-in-law’s funeral.

This comes after she extended an olive branch to Gumede, who she had a rocky relationship with over the years.

Wodumo’s post was filled with comments of people praising her for her actions and many offering her words of support during her trying times.