Open Letter to Lundi Tyamara

Dear Lundi Tyamara,

My name is Teboho Thuswa (23), I’m an actor and a motivated speaker, not a motivational one because challenges I encountered along my journey of growth have motivated me to speak and change people’s lives.

I write this letter to you with unfathomable pains because we have lost a real combatant in you, a real fighter who never resisted fighting even when times were tough and a true Prince of the South African Gospel music. We have lost a creative soul that has immensely contributed to the society through his music with an angelic voice. I actually feel very depraved that I am penning this letter to you now and you are never going to be able to read it, my conscience would however suffocate me if I didn’t express myself and I therefore believe that the good God who is with you currently will share the message with you. It has truly been our tradition to honour people’s deeds when they are no longer with us and it is a tradition that must thus be demolished.

I need to confess to you Mr Tyamara that I hardly listened to your songs but there were few that I knew like the famous Umphefumulo Wami and it was only after your demise that I began to overhear your rich talent that has incredibly touched the hearts of many people. Your passing has saddened many of us and death must indeed be not proud as it disengages us with our loved ones. I am very content at the present moment that you are finally in harmony and I best believe that you too should be happy because you have left us your amazing and unique voice as a reminder that you have lived. Your family must be glad too that you are finally reposing in peace after the long battle of sickness you embarked on.

Because we live in an unpleasant social media era, the news of when you were at the hospital broke and what saddened me most at that point was seeing and hearing some people making your situation a joke as if they are living faultless lives and all. You were not perfect in your life Lundi, none of us are perfect in fact and Roman 3:23 agreeably says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We all have weaknesses and limitations in the business of life. It is really amusing how people have occupied your past of certain wrong doings that they have been fed by the cruel media to make themselves feel better.

Eleanor Roosevelt once beautifully said “You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself." As young as I am, I have personally got educated from your business of life through your mistakes and instead of judging you as I have no authority or qualifications to, I have chosen to learn from your flaws for the betterment of my business of life. I truly express gratitude to God the almighty for your existence because it really showed me how the world can react to a human being. From reading your life story on the news, listening to people’s interviews about you and watching your memorial service, I picked up that you are someone who gave us a message of growth and the message of honesty with regards to the space we are living on.

Lundi you have shown me and many other young people who are in the media industry that we still have a chance to learn a lot from you instead of blaming and or accusing. The following 10 things are what I have learnt from you and your journey Mr Tyamara and I’m very grateful, I hope you will in heaven smile and be proud that there’s at least a young man out there who opted to choose to learn positive things from your existence:-

1. I observed that people will always find a way to make themselves better with your death and claim to have done this and that for you while they don't even mention how they knocked you down and capitalised on you.

2. I learned that getting a financial advisor and reading Fin24 for financial tips are things that I should familiarise myself with before my career responsibilities pile up and I am ought to spend my money wisely as I may not know what may occur tomorrow.

3. I comprehended that people will acknowledge you more and invest in your funeral while they ignored you when you went up and down seeking for assistance to advance your life.

4. I realised that my talent and passion must pay my important bills and assist my family first before entertaining and pleasing the world.

5. I observed that drugs and alcohol are not a solution to run to during tough times and bad friends that aren’t empowering my thoughts should not be on my list.

6. I detected that fame is not real and fame is like a wind because the media only focuses on your weaknesses and not your strengths. The media always intends to crush black and beautiful talent and therefore fame is thus an unpredictable illusion that suffocates the real talent and pickpockets the creativity from the world.

7. I comprehended that some organisations and entities will use you and exploit you when they surely know that you are desperate and hungry. They will use your influence to advance their courses at your expense and therefore tell lies when you are gone about how they assisted you.

8. I noticed that people who laughed and ignored you during your downfall period can fake tears about your death just to hide their guilt of conscience.

9. I noted that the people who are really there for who you are for will always be there for you because they are like stars, even in the darkness they still shine while those who were there for what you had are gone.

10. I lastly spotted that I should enjoy my life and never succumb until God calls my name like He has called yours.

Lundi Tyamara, you have lived your life and some of us are pleased to have been part of the generation you lived in. You will forever be remembered because of your work. There are some who rule this South African land and think themselves to be kings but you ruled the hearts of those around you and I believe you will therefore do so in the paradise. I will be realising my first book soon titled Nobody Is Bigger Than Your Business Of Life, I wish you were still around to have your signed copy but my God will deliver it to you on my behalf. As you lay to rest, we know that you have gone to a better world and pray that you may get the ultimate piece, love and greatness there. May angels of God watch over you! May your soul repose well.