Popular actor Israel Matseke- Zulu has poured his heart out about his battle with gangrene,  which resulted in the amputation of his left leg. The star has been on a low for quite some time now due to his illness, as he lost his right leg. He said that he lived in hell for seven months.

“I would sleep on a couch for seven months every night because when I tried to sleep in bed, the pain would be unbearable”

Israel said his friend, Mzwakhe Sigudla, advised him to go for a medical check-up. He eventually went to see a doctor and after proper medical examination, he was told that he had gangrene in his leg and that there was a terrible infection in it.

The actor continued to share that he was then advised to have his leg amputated because it would affect his kidney or the other leg.

“What surprised the doctors was that although this is caused by high blood and sugar diabetes, I don’t have either. They then suspected that it might be smoking. That is why those who believe in witchcraft would say I have been bewitched. But I go with what medical scientists said, and that is why I quit smoking”

The former Gaz’lam actor said after agreeing to have his leg cut off as the pain was getting worse, he changed his mind and cancelled the appointment for an operation at the 11th hour.

“In fact, I cancelled four times,” he said.

He said he eventually heeded Sigudla’s advice and went to Rob Ferreira Hospital in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, where his leg was amputated after
being hospitalised for a week.

Matseke-Zulu said he quickly recuperated because he had accepted his situation.

“I think that contributed to my quick recovery because I don’t ask myself the ‘why me’ question. The only challenge now is to work on my brain because I fall a lot. My brain has not accepted that I don’t have my other leg. I would have recovered a long time ago, but because of the falling, it took a bit of time.”

The musician also said he would have recovered even quicker had he cried when he was in pain.

“We grew up with this thing of saying men don’t cry, that’s why I didn’t cry. The only time I could cry was when I was acting, not because of pain. But now when I’m emotional, I cry a lot, I cry myself to sleep and wake up a better person.”

Matseke -Zulu said he would bounce back soon.

“It is not like I was playing soccer. I know that in acting, people can create a storyline for a person like me.

“In fact, I got jobs when I was in the hospital.

“So, my fans must expect me to be back once I have received my prosthetic leg in three months,” he added.

He thanked his family, his mother and sister in particular, for the support they gave him.

He also called on other creatives to stop complaining and start working for themselves.

Sigudla said he was glad the actor had healed and would get his prosthetic leg soon.

“We worked hard to convince him. He is really a strong character,” said Sigudla.