UPDATE: Airforce mourns ‘Spaceboy’
"The last time I saw him he gave me a big hug and said to me think of me... and little did I know that was him saying goodbye."
Friends, family and colleagues of Soshanguve-born Mandla “Spaceboy” Maseko gathered at the Swartkop airforce base to share their fond memories of him this morning.
Maseko, a familiar face in motorcycling circles, died in a motorbike accident last week.
In 2014, he won a seat sponsored by the AXE Apollo Space Academy on an hour-long sub-orbital trip; hence, his “Spaceboy” nickname.
Photo: Lunga Mzangwe
Corporal K. Bopape, Maseko’s friend, said he lived life to the fullest and dedicated his life to the airforce.
“For me, this is not goodbye; it is till we meet again and I know he’s going to visit me in my dreams.”
ALSO READ: VIDEO: North ‘Spaceboy’s’ dream ends in tragedy after bike crash
Another friend described him as “a humble soul, a loving person who valued family and friends and made time for everybody”.
“The last time I saw him, he gave me a big hug and said to me ‘think of me’. Little did I know that he was saying goodbye.”
Somkhaliphi Mahlangu, president of the Tshwane Legend Bikers, said the perceptions that bikers are hooligans, thugs and trouble-makers are not true.
“If this were true, Mandla would not be the who he was,” said Mahlangu.
Photo: Lunga Mzangwe
Major-General M.P. Sehloho said that they are deeply saddened by Maseko’s untimely death.
“Corporal Maseko was viewed as the future of the South African airforce,” said Sehloho.
ALSO READ: NASA to celebrate 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon mission with live TV broadcast
Maseko collided with a vehicle on WF Nkomo Street, in Pretoria West on Saturday, 6 July.
His funeral will take place this weekend.
More details will follow.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
