Zimpapers Logo

Sipepisiwe Moyo

HE is known as the master of African delicacies, the creator of the popular show Magriza Made Me Cook. But behind his success and fame, there is a story of love, loss and gratitude.

Prince Mahlangu (34) owes his passion and talent for cooking to his grandmother, Violet Masiye nee Nkomo, who raised him and taught him everything he knows about food and culture. She was his mentor, his critic and his biggest fan. She was Magriza, the woman who made him cook.

But on February 5, 2024, Prince’s world came crashing down. Magriza passed away at the age of 77, leaving behind a void that no one can fill.

In an interview, Prince shared his grief and memories of his beloved grandmother.

He recalled how she instilled in him a sense of pride and appreciation for his African heritage, especially through the food that she prepared with skill and care.

“Magriza was a practical person who always thought that enjoyment comes from finding solutions to life’s challenges. She thought that one should be active in the kitchen, garden and at home, this method encouraged me to be proactive in my life and make every effort to concentrate on resolving the issue at hand regardless of the area of life that needed attention.

“Magriza enjoyed preparing a variety of indigenous cuisines in the kitchen, she argued that our food is not just healthy but a significant component of our culture’s identity. A people’s culture is hard to define without food, she also taught us that a man’s duty was to spend time with his children and to be present for them since family is the most important thing in life. She would go on to suggest that while it makes sense to balance work and home life, the latter should always receive the majority of one’s attention,” he said.

Prince admitted that he had mixed emotions about losing his grandmother, who was not only his inspiration but also his guide and supporter in his work.

He said that he would miss her feedback and advice on his documentaries, which he always made her watch before releasing them to the public.

“Mixed emotions, I guess, on the sad part we will miss her conversations and suggestions surrounding our work. She was a huge critic and supporter of our work and every time we would shoot a documentary, we would make her watch. In all her criticism she emphasised the point that documenting people’s cultures needs to be centred on providing quality.

“Quality in the presentation of the cultural material, quality in the storytelling, quality in the final delivery. She believed that this information would be watched for centuries to come and hence people should give their all when documenting. On a happier note, her presence in our lives will influence us to go on with the aim of documenting Africa’s diverse food cultures.”

He also expressed his happiness that he was able to capture some of her wisdom and knowledge in his documentaries, which featured her cooking and explaining various aspects of food, herbs and culture.

He said that his family and him will always cherish her presence in their lives, even though they feel her absence every day.

“We are also happy to have done some documentaries with her in line with food, herbs, culture in general. At home her void will always be felt and as a family we will dearly miss her presence in our lives.”

On the day of her funeral, Prince was too busy with the arrangements to cook any meals, something that he would have loved to do as a tribute to his grandmother. He delegated the task to his other family members, who did a splendid job of preparing the traditional dishes that Magriza loved. A cow was slaughtered and its various parts were used to make delicacies such as ezangaphakathi (internal organs), amangqina (cow hooves), inhloko (ox head) and ububende (blood broth). The guests were also served the rest of the meat.

Prince was however, happy he managed to give Magriza a grandson before her time of passing. He then concluded with a farewell message to his grandmother where he appreciated her for being present in his life.

Prince said he hoped to honour his grandmother’s legacy by continuing to share his passion and talent for African food and culture with the world. He said he will always remember her as Magriza, the woman who made him cook.

“Thank you for teaching me how to cook. Most importantly, thank you for making me appreciate my culture and heritage. Lala ngokuthula MaNkomo, Yengwayo, Mageza, Lajani, Vezi, Phaphe, Mahlabezulu, Ngubeni. Till we meet again”.