They were inseparable, a picture-perfect mother-daughter duo. Former Muvhango actress Candy Moloi and daughter Lerato Zah Moloi were as close as two peas in a pod and they were best friends.
When Candy passed away two years ago, Lerato Zah was shattered. Candy played Vho-Makhadzi in Muvhango and died after a battle with cancer. At her final send-off, Lerato says spoke to her mother just before she died, although she seemed "to be already gone".
"I begged her. I pleaded with her to not leave because I still need her. I don't want to imagine life without her. I am because of her. My world doesn't make sense without my mother. I said those words to her,” she told mourners.
"She fought like a trooper. She tried her best, but in the end, she was really tired of fighting. My mother fought throughout her life. What pains me the most is she never got that break. She was always fighting through life, working through life. Always doing something for other people. She gave and got nothing in return.”
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This year, on the day of her passing, Lerato remembers her mom’s love for music and shares the struggle of coming to terms with her parents’ death with her social media followers.
“As I post this, the time is just after 18h00. My beautiful Mama Candy transitioned to the other side within this hour, on this day, two years ago,” she writes.
“It’s been two years, but it still hurts like it happened a few minutes ago. I don’t think it’ll ever stop hurting, but I’ve learned to live with this numbing pain.”
She has fond memories of her mom playing her favourite song. “This was her favourite song… “Beautiful In My Eyes” by Joshua Kadison.”
The actress and businesswoman says her mom taught her the lyrics to the song while she was in primary school.
“Ma, taught me the lyrics to this song when she played it for me the first time, and almost daily after then, we would play it on full blast in the car maybe 10 times before giving other songs a chance. I was in primary school then. It has become one of my favourite songs too because it reminds me of the fondest memories that we shared together.
“I hold on to those memories dearly. I guess that’s all we can do when we lose the loves of our lives. Hupfi, memories don’t die like people do. Nwa-Hadzhi, edela zwakanaka Soni ya Mbelengwa. Muzukulu wa Sena. My love for you knows no bounds nor end my Queen”
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When her mother passed away, Kerato Zah opened up to True Love magazine about the agony of losing a parent “Not a single day goes by without me thinking about her. She was my pillar of strength,” she said.
“My mother played a major role in moulding me to be the woman I am today. Not having her around is a constant reminder that I have lost someone who was my everything. But I cherish the time I spent with her. There are so many things I wish I could share with her, but she’ll always be in my heart.”
