PHOTO: EAST COAST RADIO
Winnie Khumalo’s tragic passing left South Africans heartbroken, but one news anchor made a blunder when he announced the death of the wrong Khumalo.
South African musician and actress, Winnie Khumalo, recently passed away at 51 years old after battling a short illness.
Winnie Khumalo leaves behind two children, Rethabile and Thando, and a rich music and television legacy, with iconic hits like 'Live My Life' and TV appearances in shows like 'Muvhango'.
This is a sad time for many South Africans who grew up following Winnie’s career, and watched her rise to stardom.
Unfortunately for another well-known Khumalo, a news anchor mistakenly announced the death of musician Kelly Khumalo to the world on Tuesday, 7 January 2025.
As much as it was an honest mistake, Kelly didn’t take it so well.
She quickly took to Instagram to ridicule the presenter for announcing her death, calling it reckless, ignorant and disrespectful.
Social media users showed her support in the comments section, calling eNCA out for this insult.
However, most people sided with the presenter, Shahan Ramkissoon, saying they understood how he could make such a mistake with some calling out Kelly’s unnecessary drama.
After all, Kelly is the most famous Khumalo in our country for many different reasons.
Ramkissoon has also since apologised for the blunder.
"I made an honest mistake, which I corrected shortly afterwards on air," he wrote on social media platform X. "It was a slip of the tongue as I ad-libbed the story.
"I take full responsibility for the error."
Funeral and memorial arrangements for the late music icon are yet to be announced.
