In 2004, I travelled with my band to Gabon for a concert. When we returned to our home in South Africa, my dear friend and fellow band member, Phumzile Ntuli, became very ill. We didn’t quite know what was wrong. No one knew that Phumzile had contracted malaria while traveling on tour. A short time later, on June 23, 2004, Phumzile fell into a coma and tragically died from the disease.