A LIGHT HAS BEEN PUT OUT

Family and showbiz friends fondly remember the flamboyant, larger-than-life Vinolia ‘V-Mash’ Mashego

- QHAMA DAYILE

SHE’D just gotten her life back on track – the dark old days of struggling to find work and worrying about bills were behind her. Not only had she landed a job doing what she loved most, she had also found her faith again and had started attending church.

Life was looking up for Vinolia Mashego (57).

The livewire TV star, who burst onto the entertainment scene in the mid-’90s, had had only a handful of bitty roles over the past decade, so she was thrilled to be making a comeback as a TV presenter on Moja Love TV’s prank show, Bheka Sik’bambile.

But now her dreams have been dashed forever.

Vinolia, better known as V-Mash from her days as a popular presenter on SABC1’s hit music show Jam Alley, passed away on Monday 6 April.

The multi-award-winning actress and TV presenter was found in her Mamelodi home by her father, Collins Mashego (80). He’s still reeling from her passing when we speak to him over the phone a few days later.

Vinolia’s father, Collins Mashego, with his grandson Oratile. BELOW RIGHT: In a recent interview with DRUM Oratile said he wanted to follow in his mom’s footsteps.

“Ai, it’s hard, but I need to be strong for the family,” Collins tells DRUM.

The devastated dad found his daughter’s lifeless body in her bedroom around midday, he recalls.

“We got a call from the neighbours telling us they didn’t see her come out of the house in the morning like she always did. Even on days when she wasn’t getting ready for work, she always comes out in the morning,” he says.