Johannesburg - THE death of Rikhado Makhado, known as Riky Rick, has been a devastating loss, not only to his loved ones and family but to the entire creative industry.
His mother, Louisa Zondo, spoke candidly about her grief and how she is healing through it all, and revealed that she charts her healing in her book, Dearest MaRiky (Jacana).
In an emotionally charged sit-down on DJ Sbu’s podcast, The Hustler’s Corner, Zondo spoke about the struggles mothers go through.
The Cotton King’s mother said the loss of a loved one is devastating and sad on its own, but worse when a loved one dies of suicide.
“There’s something about a mother, because as mothers, we carry with us this beautiful tag of being the carriers and nurturers of children who come to this Earth through our bodies, and we shape them. We shape their lives through the way we live life, and so when your child dies by suicide, you go through a lot, because there is a huge sense of responsibility, guilt, and deep sadness at not being able to hold your child such that that end could have been different, so that’s a reality.”
Zondo said that the truth is that her son did not only die; he lived and created a legacy.
“He lived, and he created that legacy – he gave us this legacy that we have to build on, so for me to be able to see this legacy, to see the inspiration, and to see the ways in which we can build on his legacy was very important and life-giving, but I had to heal through a lot in order for me to get to that place. And I am grateful for the healing opportunities I went through. And I wrote about them in the book,” she said.
It’s been a year since Riky’s death and his fans from all corners of the country continue to pour love into his well-known extravaganza, Cotton Fest.
The festival is aimed at keeping his legacy alive while celebrating the phenomenal ideas many loved about him.
The Cotton Fest team took things up a notch this year to surprise the vim and vigour crowd at the Johannesburg leg of the concert, with the American star Akon, who took fans on a trip down memory lane with old classics.
“Building on Riky’s legacy of creating a platform for young creatives, our family fully endorse the campaign, especially with regards to the bursary and giving back to students. We are also excited about the range coming to life finally and being ready to go to market,” stated his partner, Bianca Naidoo, on his legacy.
The Star