'ARVs might have saved angel's life'

"I'm really heartbroken. I think this could've been prevented," said Hlubi Mboya after learning that her former Isidingo co-star Lesego Motsepe had died in her Randburg home yesterday morning at the age of 39.

The University of Pretoria alumna was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 23, back in 1998, after being infected by a former boyfriend.

Mboya, who played the HIV-positive character Nandipha for a decade, said: "She was very outspoken about not taking her ARVS, and I just think if she'd made a different choice, maybe we wouldn't be mourning right now."

Motsepe's death was confirmed by Oresego Communications on behalf of her family, saying she was found dead at about 11am yesterday by her brother Moemise. Two years ago, on World Aids Day, Lesego broke the news that she was living with the disease in a radio interview.

A few weeks later she told 3Talk television host Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu that she had decided to stop taking ARVs .

She told The Times in February 2012 that there was "a need for a holistic approach in tackling the pandemic as opposed to a hopeless approach, with drugs being seen as a do-or-die solution".

She regularly said people were "living their lives as if they're planning for a funeral", and that she was rather "planning for life".

Mboya described Motsepe as " a songbird on set; a sweet angel really ".

Robert Whitehead, who plays the role of Barker Haines, said: "Apart from our long working relationship on Isidingo, we first worked on a musical called The Fantasticks and she had this absolutely fantastic voice. She was magical and charming."

Lesego Twitter tributes:

• Paledi Segapo (Palse_SA) - "#LesegoMotsepe may your soul rest in peace. *gone too soon "
• Lira (@Miss_LIRA) - "May her beautiful soul rest in peace."
• Bridget Masinga (@Bridget Masinga) - "My heart goes out to her family."
• Liezel van der Westhuizen (@liezelv) - "My thoughts and prayers with her family!"
• Jena Dover (@JenaDover) - "this is very sad".
• Thapelo Mokoena (@ThapeloMokoena) - "Bless your gentle soul."