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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
SOUL Brothers’ frontman David Masondo died yesterday in South Africa. He succumbed to kidney failure after collapsing on stage during a show in the Eastern Cape more than a month ago.

Masondo who was admitted for more than a month to Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, died at the age of 67.

Speaking from their South African base, Soul Brothers’ manager Welcome “Bhodloza” Nzimande described Masondo’s death as a blow to the family and the nation as a whole.

“It’s saddening to lose Masondo and as a group it’s a huge blow.

“His gap will be hard to fill. He was one of a kind and the nation and the music sector have been robbed of a talented musician,” said Nzimande.

He said Masondo fell ill at the end of May when he collapsed on stage during a show in the Eastern Cape.

“Masondo was performing in Eastern Cape at Central Stadium in Uitenhage, Nelson Mandela Bay at the end of May. He collapsed on stage and was rushed to hospital where he was admitted until his death.” said Nzimande.

He said life in the group will never be the same without Masondo.

Nzimande said the group was in the process of recording their 40th album that would feature Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Steve Kekana and Ihashi Elimhlophe.

When the group announced the death of Masondo on their Facebook page, fans immediately flooded it with condolence messages.

In March Soul Brothers legendary keyboard player Moses Ngwenya was hijacked, shot and robbed by gunmen on the same street that reggae musician Lucky Dube was shot dead in 2007.

Reports from South Africa were that three robbers shot at him twice and managed to drive away in his black Audi A4.

The thugs also stole a computer worth R15,000, an iPad worth R17, 000 and two cellphones worth R10, 000.

The stalwarts of South Africa’s music scene, the Soul Brothers have recorded 39 albums since their formation in 1974.

Initially formed in KwaZulu Natal, the group have remained the most successful proponents of mbaqanga music which dominated Southern African urban music for over three decades.