Mandla Hlatshwayo: 'Generations' star shot while trying to protect women

Mandla Hlatshwayo, who died at the age of 40 after being shot at a pub in Pimville, Soweto, was known and loved by millions of fans as the smooth-talking heart-throb Siphiwe Khoza in Generations.

Generations was and still is the most popular soapie on local TV, watched by 8.9million people.

Hlatshwayo starred in the show for seven years and became a national celebrity. Then, in 2006, he shocked everyone and sent the rumour mills into overdrive by suddenly quitting.

The word was that he hoped to exploit his enormous brand value to make big money in business.

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He also had a career as a club DJ and producer and released a compilation album, Jozi Nights, with hits like Mojo (Black Coffee Remix) by Zee in 2006.

It didn't do as well as he'd expected, and his ventures into TV production and the security services industry were also disappointing. He went through a lean period and battled financially.

He was talented and energetic, however, and became a popular DJ on community radio station JoziFM. He presented the afternoon drive show Ghetto Radio, but popular as this show proved it was clearly no replacement for Generations, and he admitted having many an occasion to regret leaving the stardom and financial comfort of the hit TV show.

"I am just making enough here to put food on the table for me and my three children," he said in an interview three years ago.

But he still had hopes of hitting the big time again, he said.

"I have paid my dues and I need a role that will put me out there again."

Radio was his first love and he was holding out for a show on a national radio station, he said.

But he sent a strong message to anyone listening that he would jump at a chance to be on TV again.

"I am an entertainer," he said. "I love anything to do with entertainment."

But he ruled out a return to Generations, where the original cast had just been fired over a pay dispute.

The man who fired them, executive producer Mfundi Vundla, made it clear that he wouldn't have the former star back anyway.

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"I don't hire people who are down and out," he said.

Hlatshwayo, who burst onto the entertainment scene as a budding actor on Soul City 2 before being cast as Siphiwe in Generations, had a fairly complicated private life.

He and his wife, Amanda, who were married in 2002, had a strained relationship and separated after seven years. He had a lover, Mami, but doubts surfaced about whether he and his wife were ever divorced. However, Mami was invited to sit on the mourning mattress, rather than Amanda.

Hlatshwayo's daughter, Bonolo, 14, said her parents were still husband and wife, but his sister Maggie said they were not.

Hlatshwayo was killed with his friend Oupa "Chom Chom" Duma while they were trying to rescue two girls who were being robbed.

He is survived by three children.

1976 - 2017

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