Max “Chief” Mjamba, a close friend and mentor to Tsekeleke, has recounted the musician’s tragic passing, revealing that he pleaded for his suffering to end as doctors were compelled to amputate various parts of his body due to severe diabetes.
Anthony Motaung, widely known as Fatty Boom Boom or Tsekeleke, expressed in October of last year his preference for death over the amputation of his right leg. Medical professionals had cautioned that amputation was highly likely due to his condition, which had progressed to peripheral artery disease (PAD), impeding blood flow to his feet and legs.
Sadly, the very fate he dreaded came to fruition. Mjamba shared with TshisaLIVE that Tsekeleke was hospitalized last year for toe amputations. Subsequently, he had to undergo a second surgery as the PAD continued to take its toll. The third operation was particularly agonizing.
“He was crying and screaming like a baby,” Mjamba recounted.
Tsekeleke spent the last three months in the hospital, where he remarked that the “pain was unbearable.” He underwent a fourth and final amputation on Monday, after which there was nothing left to remove.
“He had nothing more to cut. There was nothing left to amputate,” Mjamba said.
The musician was placed in the intensive care unit, and just a day later, surrounded by loved ones, he took his last breath.
“He was the family’s provider. He earned income through his music and performances. Although he was connected to tubes and unable to speak, he was aware of his surroundings,” Mjamba noted.
Despite the anticipation of his passing, family members were still deeply affected by Tsekeleke confronting his greatest fears.
“When he discussed death, I tried to dissuade him,” Mjamba explained to TshisaLIVE. “You don’t want to engage in such conversations. He insisted he needed to go. The pain, he said, was too much.”
Rest in peace, Fatty Boom Boom—tributes for Tsekeleke have flooded social media from South Africans mourning his loss.
