She’s not mourning the ‘traditional way’.

Many were expecting her to be draped in black widow clothes, sitting at home and barely visible after her husband died. But she has been performing, making public appearances, dancing, and partying.

Bongekile ‘Babes Wodumo’ Simelane (28) has been criticised for “doing things her way”.

In the latest video making rounds on social media, she is seen crying while performing on stage. This has raised concerns from fans who believe she needs therapy and to be at home mourning.

But Babes tells Drum that she is okay. “I am okay. I will be okay. Sometimes I miss him and sometimes I remember the good days, but I will be okay.”

Read more | Musician Mampintsha has died

Babes says she is doing things the way Mampintsha would want her to.

“He would never judge me. He would allow me to do things the best way I know how. Only God knows, maybe one day I will break down but for now, allow me to mourn my husband my way. He loved me and I am okay. I can’t speak now, but in time people will understand.”

Babes Wodumo’s sister, Nondumiso, says she will be fine. She will also decide what she wants to reveal after gaining access to her late husband’s phone.

“Everything is up to her, there is no pressure to tell her to heal. No one is judging her and those who are don’t know what it’s like to lose a husband.”

Mampintsha’s mom was hospitalised in KwaZulu-Natal, a week after his funeral.

Mampintsha’s sister, Pinky Gumede, tells Drum that her mother has not taken his death well and not being allowed to see his corpse made her even more ill.

” Pinky says.

“Going to the funeral was a struggle, we were not informed that everyone would be wearing white. The family has completely excluded us from everything. We know he was married but not seeing his body made our mother worse.”

Pinky says Zama started feeling ill before Mampintsha. “When he became sick, she had to be strong and forget about her own health. She received some medication, and she was okay until he died.”

Pinky says her mom lost her speech a week ago but is slowly recovering.

 

“Doctors told us that it was a minor stroke. But she would be fine. She is now starting to walk, talk and eat. But she keeps asking for Mandla and that worries me because I have to lie.”

Pinky is also worried that if anything were to happen to her, she would be left alone.

“God forbid, I want my mother to be okay,” she says.

There has been tension between the two families for years, ever since Babes Wodumo and Mampintsha decided to get married and have a baby.

All tension wer addressed and buried on an episode of their reality show when the families came together and had a meeting, pouring their hearts out and addressing concerns.

Babes further tried to make peace at Mampintshas’s funeral. But Nondumiso says Mampintsha’s sister is the one causing the tension.

“She is unhappy. Babes has tried so hard to make peace. She apologises even when she does not need to, but Pinky keeps making things worse. She now believes that we have Mandla’s money that we are not giving to them and that is not true. We are still grieving. We need to put Babes and the child first.”

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