Oviritje maestro Mutjangatjike Muundjua has strongly denied rumours that he has throat cancer, following recent speculation over the end of his oviritje career. Although the singer is quitting the music industry, he says it has nothing to do with him having throat cancer, but he has been struggling with a rare disease which causes him pain in his chest after singing. Concern for Mutjanga’s condition bubbled over in recent months, as hundreds of fans mistakenly claimed that the singer had throat cancer. He said it was not life-threatening, just that he’ll no longer be able to sing and dance as he wants to.

Mutjanga grew up in Otjinene with his grandmother. As the youngest child, he always behaved differently from his family members and everyone assumed he was trying to act like an adult. He never completed Grade 12, but that didn’t stop him from deciding to pursue a full-time career in music. He had been a farmer before he started taking his singing career seriously. He joined a local oviritje band, named ‘Remember’, but left the band in 2009 when he joined Ovandu Va Upamba and rose to prominence with his hit song “ “Kondjera Ezumo”, which took Windhoek by storm in December 2009. “My family has been very supportive throughout my singing career and they respect my decision to quit the music industry and that has kept me strong,” says Mutjanga. “Every time I sing I end up in pain so I thought it is best for me to step down and make my health a number one priority. I just wanted to end speculation over me having throat cancer. It is not true,” added the Otjinene-born singer.  He believes that you should always follow your heart and pursue what makes you happy. The band has been moving forward and will continue to tour and write new songs. “We’ve had a lot of good times and survived the hard times with him,” says the Upambians manager, Abel Kandji.