CORONAVIRUS. TV chef Lesego Semenya (39) 'LesDaChef' dies from Covid-19 complications.

by Thinus Ferreira

The TV chef and cookbook author Lesego Semenya who was known as "LesDaChef" has died from Covid-19 complications. He was 39.

Lesego Semenya was the host of the series Celebrity Mystery Box on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and became one of the judges in Mzansi Magic's Celebrity Masterchef series. 

Lesego Semenya who owned his own company called LesDaChef, was also one of the TV judges in SABC3's Top Chef in July 2016 together with Neill Anthony, and with Lorna Masego as presenter.

After he had completed high school in 1999, Lesego Semenya studied towards a B.Com degree at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)  in Johannesburg and also completed a Grande Diploma in Food and Wine at Prue Leith Chefs Academy. 

Lesego Semenya's first cookbook, Dijo: My Food, My Journey was published in 2018.

Talent manager Miz Miz Marcee on Monday afternoon on social media said that "It is with great pain that I have to share this: Chef Lesego Semenya has passed away. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts. We have lost a huge part of our heart. We will never be whole again. RIP Lesego".

Lesego Semenya's Covid-19 death comes as South Africa is battling a surging third wave of the global coronavirus pandemic fuelled by the more contagious Delta-variant.  

The chef who was born in Soweto in 1982 detailed his battle against Covid-19 and on Friday 9 July still wrote on Twitter that it was his 5th day of struggling with the virus since testing positive, saying: "Day 5. Still fighting this Covid demon whilst living with a comorbidity. I'm OK, loads of medication and keeping positive. Thank you to those who keep checking up on me. Dr reckons I've seen the worst of it now and it's just about recovery and rest now".