REMEMBERING SASA KLAAS
The text that changed it all
This Saturday, at around 3pm, I received a text from my source. It was short but devastating, ‘Sasa Klaas is late.’
While still processing this bombshell, my Assignment Editor, Daniel Chida, called to ask if I had heard ‘about a prominent person dying in a helicopter crash’.
He wanted to know who it was. In a daze, I told him I had no idea and we hung up. I got back to my source. They did not answer my call.
Finally, after much frantic dialing, the source answered.
They confirmed it to be true and told me what had happened. Struggling to accept the news, I repeatedly asked them if they were sure? Was it really her? Was she not on Facebook LIVE just yesterday? How could she die?
In fact, I had spoken to her a week before. We were planning a tell-all interview. Shaking, I sat in shock for the next 20 minutes, literally paralysed with unaccepting disbelief.
Forcing myself to act, I reluctantly broke the news to The Voice team, “Sasa Klaas is late”. Just like my source, I didn’t give details at first. I guess it still hadn’t truly sunk in.
I tried to call her number but it did not go through. Her last seen on Whatsapp was the day before.
You see, the thing with social media is it allows us to connect with our celebrities on an emotional level. We know that almost everyday they will go LIVE and tell us something that had happened to them that day. It was like we lived with Sasa Klaas. We knew her living room, her friends, how her kitchen looked etc.
Anyway, back to Saturday. Our work Whatsapp chat was buzzing at that point. My colleagues were in disbelief and wanted to know what had happened.
I needed official confirmation, but where?
The Police normally don’t reveal names of deceased people for obvious reasons. Who do I call? Time was not on my side.
I finally gathered the courage to call her mother. The last time I spoke to Minister Annah Mokgethi - who is my area MP by the way - she was not particularly pleased with how the interview went. More importantly, she is a mother who has just lost her daughter.
What do I say? How do you start such a conversation?
Intruding on people’s grief is without a doubt the worst part of being a journalist.
I called her phone and it rang. At that point, I could literally feel my heart pounding as I waied for her to pick up. She finally did.
I don’t remember exactly what I said but I offered my condolences. ‘Thank you,’ she replied with remarkable dignity. That gave me the courage to continue with the conversation, which I won’t go into detail about for now.
We broke the story at exactly 5:19pm.
Immediately after that, I received over 100 calls from people wanting to know if our Facebook page had been hacked. It would take hours for other media to report on the tragedy.
Everyone, even throughout the week, wanted more answers. Who was she with? When did it happen? Why was it reported a day later?
One thing is certain; we really have lost Sasa Klaas. Our very own Nicki Minaj (I am not sure if she liked that comparison).
As I reflect, eight years ago I was introduced to Sasa Klaas through her hit single ‘Hustle All Day, Stunt All Night’ also known as HADSAN. It’s hard to believe she was only 19 when the song was released!
She was an interesting artist who embraced her feminist side and offered something different. Beautiful and bold, she caught our eye and sizzled in front of the cameras.
From twerking down low to hitting the very top with her music, a difficult love life and high profile feuds, Sasa was rarely out of the news for long.
Indeed, she is the only female to date to have men gang up on her and release not one, not two but three diss tracks against her - even her ex-boyfriend joined the fray!
Mma Mongwato, as she is affectionately known, will be laid to rest today, and I say, rest easy, Sasa. Your Klassnation will surely remember you for your work and tenacity.
We are just sorry we did not show how much we appreciated you when you were alive. How could we? Who would have thought I would receive an SMS from a source at 3pm on Saturday.