South African amputee dancer, Musa Motha has entered the history books at the “Britain’s Got Talent” reality show after leaving the judges and audience in emotional tangles with his highly emotional contemporary dance piece.
The 27-year-old Motha, who had his left leg amputated as a young boy after he suffered from cancer, danced his way into the hearts of the judges and audience.
It was goosebumps and tears as the South African amputee made his way into the semi-finals at the “Britain’s Got Talent” auditions
show after the audience demanded he got a Golden Buzzer.
The electrifying dancer performed a four-minute piece to “Runnin’ (Lose It All)”, featuring Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin and it was enough for the judges and audience.
Motha m, who moved to London from his native Sebokeng in South Africa few years ago, was highly praised by judges, Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, and Simon Cowell, who had glowing words for him after making the semi-finals.
The judges’ attempts to comment on his performance were inaudible as the crowd continued to cheer and demand a Golden Buzzer.
At that juncture, all four judges pushed the buzzer together, showering an emotional Motha with golden confetti before they went to the stage to congratulate him.
While congratulating Motha, Cowell said:
“That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in all the years I’ve done this show.”
Speaking after the rapturous applause, Motha said that he used to play soccer before he was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently lost his leg.
He then fell in love with music and his friends taught him how to dance, using his crutch in the place of his amputated leg.
“I asked my friends to teach me to dance. I use my crutches as my left leg in dance,” he said.
“I was diagnosed with cancer when I was young, which led to my leg getting amputated. This is a perfect time for me to reach out and inspire more people.
“I’m a true believer and example of breaking the word ‘impossible’ into to ‘I am possible’. I thank you so much.”
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.
Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.
“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.
The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.
Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.
His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.
For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.
A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.
His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.
The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.
Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.
While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.
“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.
“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.
“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.
“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”
She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.
She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.
“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.
“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.