by Thinus Ferreira
The eNCA (DStv 403) camera operator Gift Tshabalala has died. He was 33.
Gift Tshabalala died a week and a half ago around 18 August 2021. The cause of his death is not publicly known although he had undergone several operations over the past few years in hospital.
There's been no statement from eMedia noting his passing.
Gift Tshabalala recently got married and leaves behind his wife. Viewers didn't know or see Gift Tshabalala, but they saw his name on South Africa's eNCA TV news channel and e.tv news, and above all, they saw his wonderful work.
Gift Tshabalala constantly captured some of the big headline-making stories across South Africa and lensed events as they unfolded on the ground when eNCA reporters did live crossings, and reported on location and interviewed people - for instance during July's unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng when he filmed in Alexandra.
Sli Masikane called Gift Tshabalala "a great human being and a talented cameraman".
eNCA's Khayelihle Khumalo on social media said Gift Tshabalala was "a camera operator par excellence".
