Following the dead of multi-award-winning artist Zahara earlier this week, celebrity, Somizi Mhlongo took to his famous “Bathroom Talk” series to address something that’s been weighing on his mind.
The multi-media star spoke of how people celebrate celebrities when they pass, but mock them while they are alive.
“I wanted to talk about how human beings, including myself, are more respectful and fearful of death than of life,” said Mhlongo.
He went on to share that after hearing about the “Destiny” hitmaker being admitted in hospital a few weeks ago, he thought about how the world would appreciate her should she not survive.
“I thought should anything happen to Zahara, God forbid, should Zahara not make it, I know for sure that Zahara is going to be an overnight hero, an overnight icon. People are going to be saying how the industry has lost an icon... how she was amazing.”
Mhlongo added: “And yet we all know that in reality, she was one of the most mocked personalities, people celebrated her downfall, people used to make fun of her situations.
“We knew that she had her own fair share of hardships, but she was hardly given her flowers...”
Mhlongo asked those watching his video to imagine how much better the world would be if “we celebrated life, we respected life, we were fearful of taking life for granted”.
“We don’t know about death. We don’t know what happens on the other side, but yai, you have to die for you to be acknowledged, more respected, honoured and to be given your flowers, literally and figuratively.”
“Sies, if that’s how we going to be, keep your flowers, I will be myself flowers. It’s now the very same people whose hearts are now broken.
“Are they broken because they’ve lost someone that know they can’t mock anymore or because they feel guilty that they mistreated you? ”
He spoke of how Zahara cried for help, but “hardly anybody jumped”.
“We’ll be flying to Eastern Cape, if she is buried there, when we’ve never been to her house, when we’ve never made an effort to check up on her.
“We human being, including myself, are not okay, but we still have time to change that and the time is now.”
He promised that he is going to do better and be better.
Most of all he said he would be buying his own flowers and will not wait to receive it upon his death.
Comments came flooding in as fans agreed with Mhlongo.
“Thank you for choosing to be honest Somz because at the end of the day this needs to be and we need to change from this behaviour! Its so bad!
“It doesnt matter how much we jump and put in all the effort once the person has died, we should know that its all in vain and for a show off because the only thing that person will always remember u with is how you treated them,” commented @onela_sigobelwana.
@ncesh_nobuso said: “Thank you someone finally said this and this is the main reason I always say should I die I don’t want a memorial service because people are nothing but liars in that event.”