‘Free spirit’ activist Kruger mourned

AS SOUTH Africans continue to mourn the loss of Motsweding FM DJ Lara Kruger‚ her manager has described her state of mind in the weeks leading up to her death‚ explaining that she was unhappy with her “career advancements”.

After being hospitalised twice in the space of a week for depression in December‚ Lara died in hospital on January 3 surrounded by her family.

The exact cause of her death has not yet been revealed but her manager‚ Boipelo Ditshego‚ said that her hospitalisation was a shock given her generally positive attitude.

“She has always been a positive‚ strong and optimistic individual. This came as a shock to most of us. Her family only learnt of her state of mind when she went home to recover.”

Somizi‚ who was friends with Lara‚ said she was not happy.

Other sources have said that she was not happy in her job at Motsweding and in the months leading up to her death felt helpless at the lack of progression.

Boipelo‚ who was her manager but also a personal friend‚ said he would remember Kruger for speaking her mind.

“She was a very passionate and hardworking lady. She was free spirited‚ very bold and opinionated.

“She was not ashamed of who she was and was someone who gets things done.”

Kruger became known in the LGBTI community and often spoke about how‚ as a young child‚ she identified with being a woman.

She said she wanted to become an advocate for those people who didn’t have the courage to speak out about LGBTI issues and urged people in the industry who were part of the community to speak out and let others know the problems they faced were normal. — DDC