Beggar's tale of amazing grace makes it to gospel TV

The unlikely story of a street beggar's rise to becoming a gospel singer will unfold tonight on the TV show It's Gospel Time with Rebecca Malope.

Christopher Naku's life changed in June last year when Garry Hertzberg stopped at a traffic light on the corner of Jan Smuts Avenue and William Nicol Drive in Johannesburg and asked Naku, who was begging there, what his passion in life was.

When Naku responded simply "to sing gospel", Hertzberg told him to jump in the car. Hertzberg, an attorney, said he was not even sure why he had asked Naku the question. "He was standing there so humbly," he said.

Hertzberg took Naku, 48, to a petrol station, bought him a cold drink and a pie and asked him to sing there and then. He said he was blown away when he heard Naku's voice.

"Who would have believed that he would have such a powerful and exquisite voice?"

Since then, Hertzberg has been working to change Naku's life.

Hertzberg hosts a show called Laws of Life on the internet radio station CliffCentral. The show interviews individuals, using their stories to highlight legal issues. He interviewed Naku on the show and from there it was a leap toIt's Gospel Time.

Naku grew up in Soweto and now lives in Orange Farm. He has brittle bone disease, a congenital disorder characterised by bones that are prone to fracture.

He said he found it hard to support his sons, aged 12 and six, on the disability grant he received, or to find a job.

Naku stood on his old, mismatched crutches at the roadside singing and hoping that passers-by would help him.

He said it was hard to make it in the music industry because people judged him on his appearance rather than his voice.

Naku said music was a way to escape his problems. "When I sing I feel uplifted, I have no problems."

He said he felt like a celebrity now that he was going to appear on the TV show. His favourite song is a Sotho hymn, Mmele, Pelo le Moya, which translates as "body, heart and soul".

Malope said Naku had what it took to make it in the gospel industry. He just needed to develop his talent .

She said she was touched when she saw him perform. "He showed people that disability does not stop anybody. Even if you are disabled you can still do things that able people cannot do," said Malope.

'It's Gospel Time with Rebecca Malope' is on SABC2 at 8 tonight