Big Nuz originator Mandla ‘Mampintsha‘ Maphumulo died on Saturday, 24 December 2022, a statement from his music label Afrotainment confirmed.
Mandla ‘Mampintsha’ Maphumulo dies: What’s the cause of death?
In a statement, Afrotainment head and Durban’s Finest co-founder DJ Tira confirmed that the lead vocalist of South Africa’s most prolific Kwaito group sighed his last breath in the wee hours of Saturday, after spending a week in hospital.
According to the producer, Mampintsha was admitted after he suffered what was described at the time as a ‘minor’ stroke “upon his return from a performance with Big Nuz.”
“He is currently in hospital receiving medical attention and is under doctor’s observation,” a statement from Afrotainment read at the time.
Less than a day later, South Africa’s entertainment industry was gutted by the news of the star’s death.
Mampintsha was 40 years old.
He is survived by his wife Bongekile ‘Babes Wodumo‘ Maphumulo and their son, Sponge.
“Details on the memorial and funeral arrangements will be shared by the family in due course,” the statement read.
Mandla ‘Mampintsha’ Maphumulo biography
Mandla Maphumulo, renowned in South African entertainment as Mampintsha, one-third of the powerhouse Kwaito group Big Nuz, was born on 18 July 1982.
Hailing from Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Mampintsha and his bandmates, R Mashesha and Danger, catapulted the ‘Durban’s Finest’ era, which was spearheaded by DJ Tira and Sox at the time, into nationwide dominance between 2006 and 2013.
The trio’s debut album Zozo dropped in 2006 under Gallo Records and featured street anthems like Cheese Girl, Shay’izulu and the title track.
Two years later, Big Nuz certified themselves as a force to be reckoned with in an era dominated by the likes of Professor and Bricks with the release of their sophomore album 2nd Round Knockout.
Kwaito groups were pretty much out of fashion outside of KZN at the time. To be fair, emulating the impact of TKZee and Trompies, to name a few, was a tall order.
However, Big Nuz had something different, the effortless cool oozed by their lead vocalist, Mampintsha. He was a towering figure with a commanding low-cut octave.
The trio’s breakthrough came in 2009 with their third album Undisputed, released under an exclusive licence deal between Afrotainment and Kalawa Jazmee.
The album’s lead single, Umlilo, was the song of the summer and collected numerous awards that season. At that point, Big Nuz were certified juggernauts of South African music.
The trio had reimagined the sonics of Kwaito music and added an incomparable flare to the genre.
Big Nuz maintained its dominant status as a top-tier Kwaito group well into the mid-2010s, releasing three critically acclaimed albums, Pound for Pound (2013), Made In Africa (2013) and For the Fans (2015).
However, tragedy struck in 2015 when one of Big Nuz’s members, Sbu ‘R Mashesha’ Khomo died from health complications.
The death of Mashesha forced the group into a seven-year hiatus. In that period, Mampintsha took off on his own, dropping loosies here and there until 2020 when he released his solo debut Bhut’Madlisa.
His last solo project Diego dropped a year later.
Following years of a tumultuous relationship with the first lady of Gqom music, Babes Wodumo, Mampintsha got married in a star-studded ceremony that became the central plot of their widely criticised reality TV show, Uthando Lodumo.
In 2022, Mampintsha reunited with Danger and released R Mashesha, a Big Nuz tribute to their long-lost member.
Mampintsha was dealing with severe health complications shortly before his death. While a stroke was mentioned as the reason for his hospital admission a week before his passing, an official cause of death has yet to be established.
Fan reactions to Mampintsha’s death
Social media has been flooded with tributes from fans and peers of the 40-year-old music pioneer. It is without a doubt that Mampintsha left a mark on South Africa’s entertainment industry, and these reactions are proof of the status of his legacy in music.