PICTURE: INSTAGRAM/ LOYISO BALA
Multi-Award-winner and media personality, Loyiso Bala has recently took a trip down memory lane when he shared a picture of his mother Veronica Jafta and his late father, Arthur Bala who passed away in 1988.
According to News24, the Bala patriarch died from tuberculosis at the tender age of 39.
Loyiso took to his Instagram page to reflect on past memories. In his caption he starts with saying, “This is the only picture I have of my late father, Arthur Bala, here with umama in December 1978. I was born in September the following year, so you can do the math.”
The Bala Family star recalled the pride and respect that struck his family on the days his father worked at VW in Human Resources (HR), known proudly as umqeshi (employer), which was a very rare and prestigious role for a black man during the apartheid era.
“But soon after this picture was taken, he fell ill, and his health continued to decline until he passed away at just 39. His illness left him bedridden for the last two years of his life, costing him his job, his vitality and all he had worked for,” he said.
He recalled how his mother’s life became tough, as she had to step up and raise them as a single parent, while their picture-perfect family which was also respected for its musical gifts faded away.
“He named me Loyiso, meaning victory, believing I’d be his victory over sickness. Although that dream never fully came to pass, I am grateful for those precious years I spent with him. His humility and gentle wisdom, shared with me during long hours at his bedside, shaped the man I am today,” he recalled.
Loyiso also revealed that when he looks at his life today, he sees God’s grace turning sorrow into joy and giving him beauty for ashes, just as his father hoped when he named him Loyiso, his victory.
“Today I honour and salute you Tata. My life will carry forward the victory you dreamed of a living testament to your strength, love and unwavering belief in me to overcome the struggles you could not. Thank you for the legacy you left in my heart, a legacy I hope to make proud,” said Loyiso.
