The South African music scene is in mourning following the tragic death of rising star Malome Vector, who perished in a car crash on Wednesday afternoon. The news of his passing sent a wave of disbelief and sorrow through the industry, leaving fans and fellow artists reeling.
The accident, which occurred on the N8 national road in Kronstad, Free State, claimed the lives of not only Malume Vector, but also two other individuals: up-and-coming artist Lizwe Wokuqala and fellow singer Puleng Phoofolo. The artists were travelling to Lesotho, their home country, when the fatal collision occurred.
The news of Malome Vector's death was first reported by Lesotho Times, a publication based in Lesotho, who shared the news on their Facebook page. "Unconfirmed reports indicate that a popular Lesotho musician, based in South Africa, died in a car crash this afternoon. Two more people also died," the publication reported.
The news quickly spread across social media, with tributes pouring in from fans and fellow artists. Ambitiouz Entertainment, the record label that signed Malume Vector in 2020, confirmed the news of his passing in a heartfelt statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of a shining beacon, the Lion of Lesotho’s sun has set. Our deepest condolences go out to his loved ones and industry peers during this time of profound loss. Rest In [Peace] Malome Vector," the label wrote.
Malume Vector, whose real name was Bokang Moleli, was a multi-platinum-selling artist who gained popularity in the South African Afro-pop and hip hop scene. His infectious hits "Dumelang" and "Nobody" propelled him to stardom, establishing him as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
The singer's booking manager, Thato Pebane, told Sunday World on Wednesday evening that the team and family would release a statement on Thursday morning.
Adding to the confusion surrounding the tragic incident, rumours began circulating on social media that fellow musician Ntate Stunna was involved in the accident. However, these rumours were quickly dispelled by Ntate Stunna's manager, Bereng Matseletsele.
"To all concerned. This is to confirm that Ntate Stunna was not involved in an accident today. We are aware of unfounded speculation on different social media platforms," Matseletsele said.
Ntate Stunna, a close friend of Malume Vector, was deeply saddened by the news of his passing. He was not travelling with Malume Vector at the time of the accident.
Malume Vector's untimely death has sent ripples of sadness and disbelief through the South African music scene. He was a talented artist with a bright future ahead of him, and his loss is a significant blow to the industry.
His former record label, Ambitiouz Entertainment, described him as a "shining beacon" and a "Lion of Lesotho."
The singer had left Ambitiouz Entertainment last year to launch his own record label, The Whole Time Entertainment, and had recently secured a distribution deal with Ingrooves Africa (Electromode), a top global distributor.
