Mshoza 'out of danger'

Troubled singer Mshoza, whose real name is Nomasonto Mnisi, yesterday came out of a coma after an alleged suicide attempt at her home in Witbank, Mpumalanga, on Monday afternoon.

Alex Matsimane, spokesman for Mshoza's husband of four years, Jacob Mnisi, said yesterday that the Kortes singer was recuperating at the nearby Life Cosmos Private Hospital in Witbank after she had taken a handful of pills.

Matsimane said: "Jacob was away on a business trip and received a call from one of their two helpers to say Nomasonto was not well.

He then asked one of his assistants to check up on her and [the assistant] found her unconscious. She was immediately rushed to hospital and admitted."

But Matsimane said the 28-year-old Soweto-born singer, who last month sparked a media frenzy when she appeared on the cover of Drum magazine looking light in complexion after having her skin bleached, was "out of danger" and had spoken to her husband and even managed to eat without assistance.

"Jacob is still very emotional and puzzled as to why she would want to leave him and their two kids behind. He's very hurt, but is a man of God and has hope," added Matsimane. So confident is Mnisi of her recovery that he has refused to cancel a huge Christmas party planned for the Witbank community this weekend.

In the interview with Drum, Mshoza was quoted as saying: "People need to relax. I'm tired of people telling me what to do, how to live my life.

"If they think this skin lightening has something to do with low self-esteem, then they're wrong . Women across the world use beauty products to lighten their skins and there has never been an issue about it. Why am I being judged for this?"

During a TV interview with Motswako presenter Penny Lebyane, Mshoza said she wanted to be "black, but white . [singer] Christina Aguilera white".

She said she had had laser treatment before the bleaching, adding she had a "passion" for being white.

A terse Lebyane was criticised for her interviewing style, with some viewers labelling her "Debora Patta" on Twitter, and accusing her of attacking Mshoza during the interview.

The singer added that she had done her research before the procedures, adding that her husband had told her afterwards that she looked "even more beautiful".