‘I've outlived my mother': Bongani Fassie reflects on Brenda Fassie's life ahead of doccie launch

The Citizen

19-05-2025

The 41-year-old, the only son of the music icon, is preparing to launch a documentary about being Brenda's son titled 'Through My Eyes'.
Bongani Fassie is set to launch a documentary that looks at his life as Brenda's only child. Picture: bonganifassie/Instagram
The phrase 'life begins at 40' stems from the idea that one truly gets to appreciate life at that age after amassing maturity following the wild years of youth.
The saying couldn't hold more relevance to Bongani Fassie, the child of Brenda Fassie.
The 41-year-old, the only son of the music icon, is preparing to launch a documentary about being Brenda's son titled Through My Eyes.
'One thing I've realised is that I've actually outlived my mother. It's a bittersweet feeling,' Bongani told The Citizen.
Brenda was 39 years old when she passed away in 2004.
The documentary will be launched on Thursday and is expected to remind South Africans of a genius who blazed a trail with unfettered zest for life.
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Owning the narrative
Before and after her passing, films and books have been written and made about the colourful entertainer.
In 1994, filmmaker Chris Austin filmed Brenda in the documentary Brenda Fassie – Not a Bad Girl, while South African author and journalist Bongani Madondo published the book I'm Not Your Weekend Special in 2014.
Bongani says he's always been an afterthought in the stories about his mother's life, but he says he has a story to tell too.
'The story has been told over and over again. The narrative has always been the same: when you talk about Brenda, we include Bongani. However, this time, the story is about Bongani, and it will include Brenda,' Bongani.
Despite her stardom, Bongani said Brenda was a mother first and that he was picking up where she left off as the heir of her estate.
'I am now taking over the legacy in its entirety,' he said.
ALSO READ: Brenda Fassie's death: 'Who switched off the life support?'
'Unpacking everything'
Bongani says he wants to give viewers insight into some of the significant events in Brenda's life.
'How it truly was when Brenda passed away, what happened in the dark…how you survive and persevere through the trials and tribulations that come with being the child of a legend; I'm pretty much going to be unpacking every little thing.'
'The story has not been told fully. We cannot exclude the family legacy and heritage she was born into. There is still a lot of behind the scenes that the public isn't aware of, there are people who are not in the public domain who can tell us so much more about her.'
Following the documentary, a book and new music sampled from Brenda's long list of hits are expected to be released.
NOW READ: Brenda Fassie's music catalogue is now available digitally