Babsy Mlangeni, South African music veteran, dies at 83

South African music veteran Babsy Mlangeni has died at the age of 83 following a short illness. Born in Soweto in 1943, Mlangeni lost his sight at approximately three years old, later attending the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, where he learned to play the guitar and read Braille.

Over a career spanning nearly six decades, Mlangeni became a celebrated singer, guitarist, and composer. He was known for his ability to record in multiple languages, including isiZulu, Sesotho, and isiXhosa. His notable hits include ‘Bua Nnete’, ‘Sala Emma’, ‘Botsotso’, ‘Lonely Man’, and ‘Umadlembathini’.

In addition to his musical output, Mlangeni was a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Music Awards and served as a mentor to other visually impaired musicians, such as Steve Kekana.