South Africa woke up to the sad news of the passing of the 65-year-old academic and Amapiano star Olpha “Gee Six Five” Selepe.
This happens just weeks after finding fame across Mzansi with her hit single Obani Labantu.
According to the Sowetan Live the sad news was confirmed by her niece Sbu Mpungose in the early hours of Wednesday morning in a tweet.
“My beloved aunt, MumNcane who many of you know as Gee Six Five, is no more. She displayed leadership throughout her life, was the epitome of fearlessness and inspired many with her single Obani Labantu. Mthiya, Shandu kaNdaba, Sontshikazi. RIP Gee Six Five,” she wrote.
Eye Witness News reported that her family said she died in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Durban where she had been self-isolating under the watch of family; she was diagnosed for COVID-19 on Monday.
Gee Six Five became an internet sensation last month when her song was shared online and soon went viral.
Fans dubbed the song “a December hit” and helped it top the SA iTunes music charts, and Idols SA judge Somizi said he would love to work with her.
Speaking about her newfound fame, she told Trending SA she wanted to share a message about jealousy.
“When I composed this song, I wanted to address a question that people are always thinking: ‘Who are these people talking about me?’ You know, who are these jealous people, who are these people laughing at me? So I wanted to send a message,” Gee Six Five said.
She recently received her Masters and was working towards her PhD at the time of her passing.
The Obani Lababantu star left teaching a few months back to pursue a career in music. The grandmother to 13 has seen great success since dropping her single in November. Idols SA judge and Metro FM DJ Somizi also put it out there that he wanted to work with the 65-years-old.
Friends, family and fans, including Duduzane Zuma and actress Nelisiwe Sibiya, have flooded social media with tributes to the star and messages of condolences to her family.
