Grammy Award-winning DJ Black Coffee recently opened up about the aftermath of a highly publicized plane incident that occurred in January. During an interview with Kaya FM host Thabo "T-Bose" Mokwele, Black Coffee, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, shared the details of the incident and his emotions surrounding it.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Black Coffee described the moments of the incident, stating, "It happened for a minute, so it gave me time to think while it was happening. I had time to think while it was happening. I had time to hope that it's going to be over, and I had time to think 'okay, we're dying. It's over'. Everything happened, and I saw it happening."
He explained that the incident took place during his annual South American tour and mentioned that the company responsible for his private flights in the region did not have any available planes for him. Consequently, he had to find an alternative airline, which provided him with a smaller plane. However, Black Coffee admitted feeling uneasy about using it, even taking a picture of the floor and rugs to capture his uneasiness.
While on the flight, after reclining his seat for a nap, Black Coffee suddenly woke up to a turbulent nightmare. The plane was shaking violently, and passengers were struggling to hold on. He described the experience as being thrown around, hitting the floor and then being thrown into the ceiling when the plane took a big dip. Though briefly knocked unconscious, he regained consciousness and witnessed the aftermath of the commotion, with items scattered around the cabin.
Following the incident, Black Coffee experienced back pain and insisted on an immediate landing, despite the initial resistance from the pilots. They eventually agreed to land in Uruguay, where he underwent a five-hour-long surgery to repair damage to his upper spinal cord.
Black Coffee humorously remarked, "So, I have metal holding onto my spinal cord now. I'm half man, half machine." After spending a week in the hospital recovering, he realized he had been granted a second chance at life, prompting him to reevaluate his relationship with God. Seeking guidance, he reached out to Pastor Kabelo Mabalane, whom he described as a beautiful and blessed man, offering him a new perspective on life and faith.
"What a beautiful, blessed man. He gave me a perspective of life and faith that I never knew existed."
In addition to the plane incident, Black Coffee discussed feeling a misalignment between his life and his purpose. He acknowledged both personal and professional wins and losses, including his marriage to Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa. He admitted that the end of their marriage felt like a failure because it did not align with the idealized vision he had. He reflected on his controlling tendencies and the impact they had on their relationship, realizing that he had imposed his wishes on her.
"There's so many of those things that hit me later. Not to say that I want to try [the] marriage again but just understanding it where I'm like I could have been easier on that. I could have taken time on that…"
"Every time I would make a move that I thought was big for us and it wasn't received like that, a part of me was dying."
He made an example by recalling when he bought Mlotshwa a car, and she did not react as he hoped she would.
He admitted she thanked him for the vehicle but said he expected her response to be more animated.
The clip of this moment went viral, and the DJ was lambasted for expecting that reaction out of her when he had allegedly repeatedly cheated on her during their marriage and fathered children with more than one other woman while married.
Black Coffee acknowledged his mistakes and the need to forgive himself for his role in the marriage's dissolution. However, he did not disclose whether he had apologized or attempted to make amends with Mlotshwa.
At the time of his accident, Mlotshwa shared she had reached out to him to check on him because news of his what happened to him had troubled their children.
She said he did not welcome the message from her.
Despite the challenges and self-reflection, Black Coffee expressed gratitude for the second chance he received and the opportunity to reassess his life, relationships, and faith.
