Government’s plan to help Zola 7 stopped and here’s why

Gauteng MEC for finance and e-government Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has halted her campaign to assist veteran musician Bonginkosi Dlamini, popularly known as Zola 7, after his family asked her to stop the campaign.

Nkomo-Ralehoko’s bid to assist Zola 7 was halted after the musician’s wife allegedly urged him to go to rehab. The Gauteng MEC also pleaded with members of the public to encourage Zola 7 to go to rehab. It is unclear why the MEC and the superstar’s wife want him to go to rehab.

“The good thing is the wife was saying that Zola wants to go to rehab, so I want people like yourself to convince Zola that he must go to rehab and be better so that he can go out and get these opportunities because indeed we can’t take him among the children whilst we know that he is not fine,” said Nkomo-Ralehoko in a clip seen by a local publication.

Nkomo-Ralehoko met Zola 7 in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, as part of her Heart 2 Heart Dialogue programme last month. The meeting was so the veteran musician could motivate the youth as soon as he was well.

A local publication reports that the future of the partnership between Nkomo-Ralehoko and the musician is uncertain.

“Zola 7’s family has not yet decided whether he should go to rehab. This was informed by many other things including the argument over which banking details the public should use to help him financially. That is why the MEC decided to wait until their differences have been resolved,” said a source to the publication.

Nkomo-Ralehoko’s spokesperson, Nhlanhla Cebekhulu, also confirmed the MEC halted her campaign to help Zola 7.

“The family has asked the MEC to give them privacy to deal with the matter, so she will not make any comment at this stage,” said Cebekhulu according to the publication.