Kwaito star’s amputation fears were fatal in the end

TSEKELEKE’S friend Max “Chief” Mjamba has revealed that the Fatty Boom Boom hit-maker, who died on Tuesday evening, fiercely refused to let doctors amputate his leg as far back as 10 years ago, for the sake of his music career.

Mjamba said the kwaito star had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2007 and had been warned about the onset of peripheral artery disease (PAD)‚ which restricts blood flow to the feet and legs.

“The doctors said they wanted to [amputate] his leg to treat [him].

“He refused because he was starting to make an impact in the music industry and he didn’t want anything to stop that‚” Mjamba said.

A few months later, Tsekeleke went on to release one of his most popular songs to date‚ Fatty Boom Boom‚ and also made a mark with his impressive dance moves and energy on stage.

Mjamba said Tsekeleke would occasionally visit the doctor as the pain in his leg grew more and more difficult to live with‚ until he finally conceded to doctors’ pleas for him to undergo amputation late last year.

“He always thought he could beat it and in his desperation he was listening to the promises of people who said they could heal him.

“Maybe he thought he could pray it all away, but eventually it became so much‚ and he was so tired of it‚ that he agreed to surgery,” Mjamba said.

Just weeks after he said he would choose “death over [amputation]”, Tsekeleke’s friends booked him into Johannesburg’s Baragwanath Hospital, where his toes were amputated.

Tsekeleke was in and out of hospital from January to May this year, and admitted permanently two months ago.

“He was such a lovable person and through all of this he didn’t lose a single friend‚” Mjamba said.

TSEKELEKE