Actress Manaka Ranaka has spoken candidly about one of the most devastating days of her life, revealing how she learnt that her daughter, Katlego Ranaka, had died on 23 January 2025.
During an emotional interview on Power FM, the actress recounted the events of that Thursday morning, when she was working on set and filming several scenes.
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Ranaka said she had felt unsettled from the beginning of the day, long before the phone call that would change her life forever.
“I was at work, it was a Thursday around eight and ten in the morning. And I think I had three scenes that day. The last scene that I had to do, we had a new guy on set. And I still feel guilty about it.”
“I didn’t give him my all, but I’m not going to feel sorry, you know. I was going through the most,” she said.
Manaka Ranaka Describes The Hospital Call That Felt Different
Ranaka explained that the hospital had been in regular contact with the family, but on that particular day, the tone of the call immediately alarmed her.
“As I was feeling weird that day, the call from the hospital came through. They called us all the time, but this one was very different. They wanted us to rush to hospital, to come through. I couldn’t because I’m at work,” she said.
Unable to leave the set straight away, she asked her mother and a close friend to go to the hospital on her behalf.
Soon afterwards, she received the call that confirmed every parent’s worst fear. “When she called me at work to let me know what they are saying at the hospital, because that’s what our routine is now.”
Her mother then informed her that Katlego had passed away.
Manaka Ranaka Shares The Emotional Pain Of Losing Her Daughter
Ranaka said she immediately broke down as the reality of her daughter’s death began to sink in. “And then she told me that she’s gone and I just lost it, you know, because I was still hoping that she’ll be fine. You know what I mean.”
She also spoke about the overwhelming emotions that followed, including thoughts about what she might have done differently. “You’re not going to be able to see her again. All these thoughts and emotions come through, of how you could’ve done things differently.”
Ranaka’s deeply personal interview offered listeners a raw glimpse into the grief she continues to navigate following the loss of her beloved daughter.
