Fall Of A Giant
YOU South Africa|21 November 2019
Those close to Xolani Gwala remember the radio host’s final days – his boundless love, unbreakable spirit and his wish to see cancer treatment made accessible to all
Khosi Biyela
Fall Of A Giant

IT’S going to be a difficult fight and a long fight. But it’s a fight I’m ready for.”

These were the words Xolani Gwala spoke shortly after returning to the airwaves following an extended absence to treat his cancer – a disease that had toppled the popular radio host in the prime of his life.

The man known as XG, Bra X and Mr X was back – and he was cautiously optimistic about the future.

Yes, he was in remission and things looked good but he knew it could take up to 10 years before he was officially cancer free. But he had so much to live for and he’d do everything he could to battle the beast if it preyed on him again.

“It’s been a crazy year and it’s going to take me a really long time to understand it. It’s been hell – perhaps that’s the easiest thing to say,” he said on SABC2’s Morning Live.

“The lesson is to be grateful.”

For a few months the man with the beloved baritone voice and infectious giggle was back, by turns charming, informing and entertaining listeners on his breakfast show on Radio 702.

Then the beast was back, more hungry than before. Xolani (44) took his final breath on 1 November at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife, Peggy-Sue Khumalo (46), and younger brother, Mdu.

“He died peacefully,” Mdu said at his brother’s memorial service at the Rivonia Catholic Church in Joburg.

“He’d been in so much pain. After taking his last breath, he was at peace.”

Even though the disease claimed Xolani’s life, his family intend to continue fighting in his name. They want to establish a foundation to support people living with cancer, especially the poor.

Esta historia es de la edición 21 November 2019 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición 21 November 2019 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE YOU SOUTH AFRICAVer todo
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ minutos  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 minutos  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 minutos  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 minutos  |
5 September 2024