Everybody falls sometimes, but it is those who rise up again who win in the end. And nobody can resist the allure of a good comeback story. Watching your favourite celebrity fight their way back to the top after taking a beating is both immensely satisfying and motivating, and somehow makes you love them even more.
These are some ZAlebs who had amazing comebacks.
Jub Jub
When we speak of falling from grace, we would be hard pressed to think of a ZAleb who fell as far as Molemo did. The rapper served four years out of 10 for culpable homicide after he caused the death of four school children while racing under the influence of heavy narcotics.
Since his release from prison, he has assimilated into normal life pretty impressively. He landed a job as a host on the reality investigative TV show Uyajola 9/9, and was doing great in the role, to the point of winning back his fans’ adoration. Well, that was up until multiple rape and physical abuse surfaced against him recently, causing him to be suspended from the show.
Whether he is reinstated as the show’s host or not, the man has made amazing strides in establishing a life for himself after prison. Not many get the opportunity, and when he got it, he surely did not waste it.
Babes Wodumo
Gqom artist Babes has been a celebrity long enough to have seen it all. But nothing could have prepared her for the messy year that was 2019. She made headlines for a turbulent relationship with Mampintsha, had her social media accounts hacked, and it was even alleged that she was using cocaine.
But even if Babes will do nothing else, she will hold her head high. That disaster of a year saw her fall from glory, and she had to endure Mzansi trolling her time and again. But she rose again, and has regained her spot as one of Mzansi’s darlings, and we love to see it.
Keke Mphuthi is best known for her role as Lesego in “Unmarried”, but she went through a lot at the hands of the Fergusons. The actress came out to say that she was mistreated by the production company while she was pregnant, to the point that she almost suffered a miscarriage.
After the trauma she endured, she took a two year break to focus on parenting and to find herself. She finally revealed in 2021 that she was officially back, and her fans were excited for her. She has promised great things on the small screen, and that she will be working alongside former Isidingo star Lindani Nkosi in an upcoming production.
He was accused of infecting his wife with an STD, and even of physically abusing her. While he publicly owned up to having cheated on his wife, he denied the abuse allegations. Either way, the saga resulted in his being fired from his job as a presenter on SABC 3’s Expresso, and he also lost multiple brand endorsements and sponsorships.
In 2021, Katlego has been slowly getting his groove back after he lost almost everything. He shared his journey back to happiness, and he is even back on Instagram after a 9-month hiatus. He has been conquering mountains - literally - and it won’t be long before he is back in his prime spot as a top presenter, because we can’t deny that the man is talented.
Speedy
Harold Matlhaku first became famous as part of the Kwaito music group, Bongo Maffin in 1997. He later left to start his own music career, while also dabbling in acting for a bit. However, he soon disappeared from the spotlight and many assumed that he had completely fallen off the scene.
Speedy recently announced that he was officially back, dropping a great new album, the first in a long time. His fans jumped on his tracks immediately, and they are showing him that they have not forgotten how much of a legend he is.
Regardless of how messed up the reasons were for some of these celebrities' falls from grace, they managed to bounce back and that is what's important. They paid their dues, whether publicly or privately, and Mzansi chose to give them a second chance. If you need a sign that you can reinvent yourself regardless of your past, this is it. Good luck!
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