Katlego, aged 24, passed away on Thursday, January 23. Her mother, actress Manaka Ranaka, shared the heartbreaking news during a memorial service held at the San Salvador Catholic Church in Leondale, Ekurhuleni, on Thursday, January 30.
Reflecting on her journey as a mother, Manaka admitted that her career sometimes made it difficult to be as present as she wanted to be. However, she was determined not to let her fame overshadow her daughter’s achievements. She allowed Katlego to carve out her own path, particularly during her time at Ekurhuleni Farming School. While this was a challenging decision for her as a mother, she believed it was the right one.
“If I hadn’t stepped back, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to shine on her own. People might have chosen someone else. As hard as it was, I had to let her prove herself. Now, when people speak of Katlego, they call her Kat, KGC, or Kitty—her name. They don’t refer to her as Lerato’s daughter from Stokvel, Lucy’s child from Generations: The Legacy, or even as a Ranaka. She was her own person,” Manaka expressed.
She also shared how much of herself she saw in her daughter. “I have to be strong for everyone, just like Katlego was. She inherited that from me. We always put others first—we didn’t know how not to. We would be the last to eat, the last to laugh. Thank you for recognizing my child as Katlego. I love hearing all the stories about her.”
Katlego was pursuing a course in animal production at Ekurhuleni Farming School. “Her love for animals inspired me to guide her toward studying agriculture. I always dreamed of owning a farm, and she had a deep passion for animals. Had she excelled in high school, she might have pursued a career as a veterinarian,” Manaka shared.
“After discussing it, we agreed that agriculture would allow her to care for animals while staying true to her dreams. But at the end of the day, we all have our own journeys, and God has a plan,” she concluded.