Iconic musician Bonginkosi ‘Zola 7’ Dlamini is best known for his TV show which aired from 2002 to 2010 on SABC1, showcasing young people realising their dreams with the support of this Kwaito superstar.
But South Africans were concerned when a video of Zola surfaced, who seemed to have lost a shocking amount of weight while others claimed that he was epileptic and in need of medication and financial assistance. Even though Zola reportedly spoke about his battle with epilepsy during an interview on Podcast and Chill, the leaked video was said to be old and taken at a time when he was very sick.
The video sparked outrage and left a sour taste in the mouths of many social media users as they expressed that it was wrong to have recorded him in such a state, and still go as far as to post it online.
Zola then spoke out in a Facebook post, saying how “truly humbling” it was that people wanted to help him, even though he initially rejected the idea because he is a proud Nguni man.
“I’ve received hundreds of texts asking for my banking details. I see I’m trending on Twitter and plenty of people are offering financial assistance as gratitude. I’ve never expected anything in return for the help I’ve given people in need but this is truly humbling,” he wrote, attaching his banking details to the post.
The comments, however, were flooded with people saying that this is a scam, as many asked Zola to announce his banking details via video instead “to show that it really is him”. Others, who adopted an opposing view, responded to these claims by asking why the star would post fake banking details on his official Facebook account and vowed to financially assist Zola.
Shortly after, Royal AM president Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, who is known for her flashy lifestyle, reached out to Zola and decided to let him take her blue Bentley Continental GT for a ride.
She then took to Instagram to say: “Spending some much-needed time with my brother Zola.
“Guys, I just want to encourage all of us to do the right thing especially when it comes to one of our own. Zola is an unsung hero who has been a catalyst for change in our society for many years. Let’s not turn a blind eye”
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Her actions were not well-received by everyone though, as some, including Music exec Nota Baloyi, claimed that Mkhize was doing this for clout at Zola’s expense.
If Mamkhize wasn’t a fraud she would’ve sponsored Kamo Mphela with a trip to the US & got her features with Rick Ross instead of taking the talentless son to go be a groupie. Now they are all coming to use #Zola7 for clout. As long as you guys stream his music & support his gigs!
— The Authority (@lavidaNOTA) March 10, 2022
Meanwhile, South Africans have rallied behind Zola 7, saying that he deserves everything of the best after all the lives he’s touched.
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Picture: Instagram