Former Idols SA contestant twins Anele and Neliswa Mxakaza return with a brand new single

They’ve been laying low since they spoke out against their former pastor, Timothy Omotoso, from the Jesus Dominion International Church.

Former Idols SA contestant twins Anele and Neliswa Mxakaza made several allegations against Omotoso. Since the accusations and ongoing case against him, the twins have not felt safe or ready to release music – until now.

This Friday, they return with a new name, Amali – meaning hope – and a brand-new single called Take Me Back.”

“Our manager, Luyolo Beku, helped us choose the name and to rebrand ourselves,” Anele says. “We chose the name Amali, meaning hope in Swahili, because we were looking for a fresh start and we wish to be a vessel of hope for other people who feel hopeless and broken,” she adds.It hasn’t been an easy journey for the twins since they opened the case in 2017 but they are not throwing in the towel.

“The case is still ongoing, dates keep getting postponed, so we wait,” Neliswa says. “We really can’t wait to get it over and done. It’s always in the back of our minds in everything that we do. We don’t feel safe,” she adds. “The threats have stopped but we don’t feel safe walking to the shops. We become paranoid whenever a man looks at us and we are always looking over our shoulder.

“We have decided that this needs to stop and we are taking back our lives and our music careers.”

The twins feel they wasted four years of their lives at the church.

“We want to reclaim the years lost and get our dignity back,” Anele says.

“We were promised so many things that never transpired. All we want to do is live our purpose, make good healing music and carry on with our lives”

Although time was wasted, the experience made them better people. “We grew up afraid to speak up, we were shy and almost people pleasers, but we are stronger and wiser,” Anele says.

After their single becomes a hit, Amali hopes to collaborate with twins Viggy and Virginia Qwabe. “We love the twins, we speak to them all the time. Working with them would make for an interesting song, we can’t wait,” Anele says.

– The Juice