Don Mlangeni Nawa's cause of death finally revealed

The South African

27-04-2025

The wife of Don Mlangeni Nawa – who played TV dad Zeb Matabane on popular SABC soapie Isidingo – revealed his cause of death: prostate cancer.
The widow, Regina Nawa, made the revelation during the veteran star's funeral on Saturday, 26 April.
Nawa – known for his many soapie and telenovela roles – died earlier this month at the age of 65 years old.
Speaking at his funeral service, Don Mlangeni Nawa's widow, Regina, reflected on his final months, in which he battled an illness he hid from the public.
She told the crowd of mourners, 'My husband had prostate cancer. He did his first chemotherapy, but it never worked, he tried a second treatment, but it became so aggressive that they had to cut it short.
'He gained weight over time, but it was false weight. The chemotherapy caused a build-up of water in his body. He was in and out of the hospital until eventually, he was released and told to go home and die with his family.'
Don Mlangeni Nawa was given a short reprieve from his illness when he was given access to a medical protocol from overseas.
An emotional Regina continued: 'I was forced to stop working to care for him. We were struggling financially. I called on the Premier, who came running and bought the first set of his medication.
'I also reached out to the Deputy Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, who purchased the second batch, although my husband passed before he could finish it'.
Don Mlangeni Nawa is sadly not the TV industry's only victim of cancer.
Last year, fellow Isidingo actress Michelle Botes – who played villain Cherel De Villiers – died of a rare blood cancer at the age of 62.
In 2023, Carte Blanche presenter Derek Watts died of complications from skin cancer. He was 74 years old.
That same year, Binnelanders actor James Alexander died after a secret four-year battle with head and neck cancer. He was 45 years old.
Also in 2023, TV and radio personality Mark Pilgrim died from stage four lung cancer. Mark had shared his year-long cancer battle with his fans on his social media accounts.
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