Lerato fights back
I’ve lost husband, she says of HHP
“I have lost a husband, my best friend. My comedian, favourite artist and the love of my life – motho waka.”
Those were heartbreaking words of rapper HHP’s widow Lerato Sengadi as she took to the stage during his memorial service at the Newtown Music Factory in Johannesburg. Ahead of her birthday today, Sengadi remained unshaken amid the Tsambo family drama as they refused to acknowledge her as HHP’s wife. Paying a tribute, Sengadi read her last love letter: “I loved you when you didn’t love yourself. I loved you when you thought you don’t deserve to be loved. I loved you when others thought you were unlovable. “I loved you when I was scared to love you.
“I fought for you when I had to be a one-woman army against so many that tried to tarnish your name. I loved you through happiness and pain; highs and lows; darkness and lows; fear and pride.
She read further: “I find solace that even in your last breath you knew that. You were so easy to love, even when you thought it was difficult, it really wasn’t.” Sengadi arrived fashionably late, two hours after the service started and sat in the front row next to her mother and sandwiched in-between Faith Mazibuko, the MEC of sport, arts and culture and Tsambo family. Sengadi was surrounded by her close friends as she took to the stage including Penny Lebyane, Slikour and Shugasmakx. “The pain is gone now my king, rest motho waka .I know you will not leave me, you have never have. I will see you in the next lifetime, but for now Aluta Continua.” Slikour, Amu and others raised eyebrows when they joined Sengadi during her speech for the fallen star. This comes after the Tsambo family’s statement in which they said they did not recognise Sengadi as their son’s widow.
Slikour told Sowetan they supported Sengadi as a friend they grew up with. “We’ve known Lerato since we were teenagers, so I don’t know about the family things. We’d be going over our heads [to discuss that]. We all grew up together, even before we were famous,” he said. “Jabu and Lerato were both our friends, so we went on stage to support our friend. We were paying respect to our friend and it’s not like Lerato is a woman we didn’t know. “The other details are above our pay grades,” he added, noting that he believed the memorial service was “exactly what he [HHP] would have wanted”.
HHP’s cousin Zanele Tsambo spoke on behalf of the family. Her industry friends including DJ Fresh, Cassper Nyovest, Amu and Kabomo also paid tribute.