After a prolonged struggle with health issues, the award-winning radio presenter, Bob Mabena, died at the age of 51. He was a veteran radio personality who had over 30 years of experience under his belt. Mabena was famous for the numerous shows he hosted at Metro FM, Khaya FM, Highveld Stereo, and POWER 98.7.
On her own part, his wife Eucharist Hadebe is a businesswoman who only got popular following her marriage to Bob. She is the founder and managing director of Hai Cosmetics (Pty)Ltd. Eucharist, after the death of her husband, still has her career to face, in addition to the responsibility of raising the family she built with her late husband.
Who Was Bob Mabena?
While his exact birth date is not publicly known, Bob was born in 1996 in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. He lost his mom as early as 11 years of age and was raised by his grandmother. Mabena rarely talked about his early life and background. Hence, there is quite a scarcity of info about his parents and family background.
After his high school education at Saulridge college, Bob went ahead and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting. Given his academic qualifications, Mabena was drawn to the media industry as he often listens to radio programs.
The legendary presenter started his radio career in 1989 in the then Republic of Bophuthatswana with the now-defunct Radio Bop. After working with them for three years, he was recruited by Koos Radebe as Radio Metro station manager. His stay at Radio Metro undoubtedly gave him more steps ahead to develop his career, and also exposed him by laying a foundation for a variety of shows such as “Pick a Tune”, “Studio Mix” and many others.
Subsequently, Mabena worked in a number of radio stations, including 94.7 where he was a mid-morning presenter, and KAYA FM where he hosted the breakfast show. He later joined SABC and served for two years as the Executive Manager of Commercial Radio stations; METRO FM, 5FM, and GoodHope FM.
Through his professionalism, Bob was able to distinguish himself in a number of ways. He left SABC and was recruited at MRC Radio as the director in charge of their radio stations; Heart FM and Gagasi FM. After gaining a wealth of exposure and experience as the director of the prominent radio stations, bob returned to Kaya FM as the Breakfast Host and thereafter established his Radio Consultancy – EndowMedia, a position he held till his death. He owned Bob K. Mabena Foundation that promoted education in the country.
The Legendary TV Cum Radio Host Died Of A Heart Condition
On 10th August 2020, in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, Power FM announced the death of the legendary TV cum radio host who reportedly succumbed to a heart condition. Bob, at the age of 48, had revealed that he was diagnosed with a lifestyle-related sickness that required him to maintain a healthy diet and to exercise a lot. Sadly, his death occurred sooner than he expected as the management of Power FM 98.7 confirmed it in a statement:
Mabena was initially discharged on 9th November after hospitalization due to a lung infection that saw doctors removing water from his lungs according to Daily Sun. The publication further affirmed that he was driven back to the hospital as he was struggling to breathe. Meanwhile, it is sad to note that the legend died just after a few months he lost his grandmother to COVID-19.
Bob Mabena’s Wife Is An Established Businesswoman
Born on September 18, 1980, in South Africa, Eucharist Hadebe is a South African businesswoman who is best known for being the wife of the late media icon Bob Mabena. Besides this, Eucharist is a successful businesswoman who has many years of experience in the beauty and cosmetic line. She is the founder and director of Hai Cosmetics Ltd and currently the HR & Office Manager at MRC Management Services, a position he took up since May 2017.
Through the proceeds from her entrepreneurial ventures, Hadebe has been able to accumulate a decent fortune. She is also the benefactor of her husband’s vast wealth. Mabena preferred to live a modest lifestyle despite his obvious riches. However, the specifics about her assets and liabilities are still under review.
Bob’s Marriage To Eucharist Was A Shortlived But Fantastic One
Talking about fame, Hadebe became more outstanding and successful after she started hanging out with Bob, even though she was doing well in her business before then. Her relationship with the media boss began shortly after his failed marriage to his ex-wife, Zandile Nzalo. The duo were long-time friends before they decided to take their relationship to the next level. Bob and Eucharist got married in a private wedding ceremony that took place in South Africa in 2015.
In March 2020, it was celebration time for Bob and his wife as pictures of their five years wedding anniversary were all over their Instagram pages. The celebrity couple had a thousand and one reasons to celebrate because, at 5 years, they were still very much in love and going strong. Unfortunately, their fantastic marriage was suddenly cut short on the 10th of August 2020.
How Many Children Does Bob Mabena Have?
Some sources have it that Bob fathered 10 children, some say 8 while some peg it at 7. However, after proper finding, it is known that Bob Mabena had six children from his past love affairs with other women, including one with his ex-wife Zandile.
But from what is obvious, Eucharist has only one son (Elihu Uthimna Mabena aka LJ “LittleJammer”) with Bob and he was born in 2016, just a year after their marriage. Just like some parents would rightly do, Eucharist is very proud and protective of her son but occasionally flaunts his photos on her Instagram page.
Impact Of His Death On His Family
It is difficult to say exactly or imagine what it must have been like for Eucharist to grieve after her husband’s death, knowing the fact that the two were very fond of each other. Losing a loved one is one of the most devastating moments anyone can go through. The two were very close and shared precious moments together while their marriage lasted. Bob’s death left his wife Eucharist feeling like the whole world stood still.
Eucharist, however, is still recovering from the shock of her husband’s death hoping that soon, she will come out stronger than she has been. Thus, she has not actually said much nor made any public appearance since the funeral rites of her husband. As much as life has not remained the same for Eucharist since the day her husband drew his breath, nothing about her business has changed still. Having no other source of income so far, Eucharist still sticks to her beauty and cosmetics line and has no intention of leaving it anytime soon.
Bob Mabena’s wife currently lives in South Africa with her son. Due to security reasons, she has not shared her precise location of residence.
