'I've promised to be there for her son' - V-Mash's family 'devastated' by her death

Vinolia “V-Mash” Mashego's family hardly slept last night.

Her sister, Prelley, is still haunted by a phone call she had received just hours earlier.

The call, which came from her father, hit her hard: Vinolia had died.

The former Jam Alley presenter had spoken to her family last week but not over the weekend.

When neighbours realised  she was not around, they called her father and another sister to come quickly.

Together with police, they broke into Vinolia's home in Mamelodi, Pretoria, and found her lifeless body in bed.

Paramedics later declared her dead of natural causes and estimated she had died three days earlier.

“We were all heartbroken by the news. It was devastating. You can never prepare for news like that. As a family we are broken but trying to stay strong,” Vinolia's nephew, Karabo Seale, told TshisaLIVE.

He said he would always remember his aunt for her larger-than-life personality.

“The Vinolia you saw on TV is the same person she was with us. She was always joking. She had a lot of energy and was always having fun. I will never forget how she used to bring us things from Jam Alley. She always thought of us.”

Vinolia, who recently starred in the drama series Giyani: Land Of Blood and hosted Moja Love's Bheka Sikubambile, was starting to make a comeback in the entertainment industry.

She spoke often of her love for acting and presenting, and Karabo said her family saw the passion in her eyes.

Vinolia left behind a son, Oratile, who Karabo said is like a brother to him.

He said after hearing news of his aunt's death, he has promised to look out for Oratile.

“We were raised together so we are more than cousins. We are brothers. I am traveling to go see him and make sure he is okay. I want to be there for him. If I could speak to my aunt one last time I would tell her I love her, we all love her, and I will look out for her son.”