Bob Mabena’s family and friends recount his final moments, last texts during moving memorial

• Legendary radio individuality Bob Mabena died on Monday. He was fifty one.
• To celebrate his lifestyle, Bob’s family and Electricity 98.7 invited the country to be a part of a virtual memorial assistance on Thursday.
• “When he said he cared about you, he did not just say it he confirmed you,” said Melanie Bala for the duration of a stirring tribute.
• Judith Sephuma sent a rousing rendition of Donny Hathaway’s A Tune For You.

“When he said he cared about you, he did not just say it he confirmed you. Really like is a verb – it is in the things you do. It really is one particular of the things I loved about him,” said Melanie Bala for the duration of a rousing tribute to Bob Mabena at a memorial assistance held in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The sentiment shared by his pricey close friend and colleague, was one particular echoed by just about every man or woman who took to stage to pay their respects to “The Jammer”.

The famous radio personality died on Monday. He was fifty one several years old.

With an illustrious career spanning about thirty several years, he hosted his last display on Electricity Breakfast on Friday, 7 August forward of Women’s Working day.

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Fifty family members and shut buddies gathered at the Electricity House on Thursday, to pay tribute and celebrate the lifestyle of the radio and Television set giant. 

It was not a sombre occasion, but a one particular filled with pleasure, since Bob lived a lifestyle of love and pleasure. 

Just before his death, Bob said that he did not want a eulogy at his memorial since he desired what he had achieved to converse for by itself. In the course of the three-hour assistance, the lasting impression Bob’s kindness, assist, and generosity had on the people all around him was obvious. 

Presenter of Electricity Travel on Electricity 98.7, Thabiso TT Tema welcomed those in attendance into the auditorium and released each speaker as they paid tribute to their colleague, close friend, and father. 

“Songs was really significantly a portion of Bob’s lifestyle and one particular of the things that he loved the most,” said TT, as he welcomed several artists to the podium to honour Bob by means of tune. 

Judith Sephuma sent a rousing rendition of Donny Hathaway’s A Tune For You, and after the product, she said: “He loved that tune so significantly,” right before offering a rendition of My Assist Commeth From the Lord. 

Other musicians to provide a musical product integrated Ringo Madlingozi and Mo-T. 

A lot of spoke of Bob’s love of tunes, his understanding of the subject and how he would generally be the initial to uncover new tunes. 

Close buddies Nothemba Madumo and Melanie Bala paid their respects. 

Nothemba recalled the last conversation she had with Bob about text information: “It was a happy conversation, and that relieves me.”

She shared the last poignant information she obtained from him: “I mute my mic.” 

“I am unbelievably anxious since this is some thing that I under no circumstances considered that I would have to be executing,” said Melanie, adding, “How do you pick a instant? How do you a pick memory?” 

She recounted an incident that happened when she was youthful, and she had a stalker, indicating: “I did not know how to take care of this. But Bob produced it is private responsibility, just about every 7 days, after the display to make confident that I received home safely and securely. If he had the time, he would give me raise himself to make confident I get home, and if he did not, he would make confident that any person took responsibility to make confident that I get home and he would examine on me as well.

“When he said he cared about you, he did not just say it he confirmed you. Really like is a verb – it is in the things you do. It really is one particular of the things I loved about him,” she said. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has not just modified the way we live, but the way we die, and not only are people grieving from a length by means of virtual memorials but, thanks to rigid protocol in hospitals, they are also lacking out on indicating their closing goodbyes. 

Although Bob died in a healthcare facility, minutes right before his death he shared a closing drive with his spouse, Eucharist Hadebe, said Presented Mkhari.

“We know that Mrs Mabena and Mabena did their day nights. And if it is not the Friday day night, then it is just a drive. So of class, it must make feeling that an exit on a healthcare facility bed would have been out of character. So yes, Monday we had been receiving released. Occur pick me up at fifty percent-earlier nine. He keeps her ready since he is ready for his medicine to go home,” he says.  

He proceeds: “They get in that extravagant device, that auto of his. She is driving, fantastic, and then a couple minutes later on, inside of the space of up to 7km, basically a 7-minute drive. The brother says he is emotion dizzy.”

“Do not be angry at my boy, cause he is a dependable gentleman. He nevertheless gave you what you boys and women do – that last drive. Like TT said, that drive was with the people he was most obsessed with,” Presented told Eucharist. 

Bob’s daughters Clementine and Sihle shared a touching tribute to their father. 

“They say just about every soul which is thanks to be born picks its mum or dad. My siblings and I won the jackpot. Goldmine of take note. The most very easily interesting gentleman that anybody has ever satisfied. Loving. He applied to say appear home so that I can smother you with love. And he did,” said Clementine. 

“He did that to all people, just about every one particular of us. I want to be greedy and say I want far more time, but he gave me the best of himself,” she included. 

His daughters thanked the country for their assist, with Clementine indicating that she took a split from social media since it can be “tough”, but in its place “the love has been huge.”

Joined by her siblings, she said: “Thank you for the regard you’ve got shown us. The Jammer journey does not close listed here, the legacy proceeds, and it is in these faces.” 

Check out THE MEMORIAL Assistance Listed here:

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