POPULAR celebrity journalist, former magazine editor and TV personality Nomakula Roberts died on Wednesday night.
She was 49.
The cause of the star’s death is still unknown, however, some reports said she collapsed on the set of her TV show.
Roberts is survived by her two children, Tembela and Laeun, her grandchild, her three siblings, including actress Hlubi Mboya Arnold as well as her parents. She was an institution in the world of print and broadcast media, having had several high-profile jobs that saw her become a major player in the industry.
The former Sunday World lifestyle editor had an illustrious career as a journalist and editor.
She edited Pace magazine and was also the fashion and beauty editor at Drum magazine.
She also worked at the now-defunct Fairlady Magazine as a fashion and beauty journalist.
She had a famous and controversial column called “Bitches Brew” on Sunday World and was also rumoured to be the notorious gossip columnist, Shwashwi.
She was the news editor for the publication, where she proved her mettle as a hard-nosed celebrity news editor.
She was recently fired by the Sunday World after she was linked to the African Transformation Movement (ATM), a political party, last year.
She made headlines last year when she expressed her political ambitions and joined ATM before the local municipal elections.
At the time, she was said to be running for candidacy in ward 65 in Tshwane.
However, her plans of holding public office ended just a week after she announced that she’d joined the political party.
Later, the political party announced that Roberts had to step down due to “confidential circumstances”.
“Due to unforeseen and confidential circumstances it is no longer possible to have Nomakula Roberts as a member and ward councillor candidate of the African Transformation Movement,” read the statement.
- * Staff Reporter
