SA singer Mthandazo Gatya celebrates 14 years of no booze

Mthandazo Gatya speaks on his 14 years journey of no alcohol

Award-winning singer Mthandazo Gatya celebrates 14 years of sobriety.

The 37-year-old stopped drinking alcohol in 2010 at the age of 24 and he’s opened up to Daily Sun on how he stopped and the journey.

“Drinking felt to me like a pattern I needed to break because I had a lot of people in my family who had lost everything because of alcohol. My dad included. In grade 9, I was already drinking heavily because there was a tavern at home and there was alcohol everywhere,” he told the publication.

“My family wasn’t aware that I was a drunkard. At the time, I looked at myself and where I started, it felt like my alcohol abuse would determine my future. I needed to break the curse.”

The Senzeni hitmaker said he’s never thirsted for alcohol since he stopped.

“At the time when I decided to quit, nothing bad had happened. It was just a conscious decision, and I was ready to go through it. When I told my friends, they thought I was kidding. I was also trying to prove a point to them that I could stop. That also helped me, so it wasn’t the hardest thing. I don’t recall a single day where I felt like I needed alcohol.

“Considering the industry I’m in right now, I see that it would’ve ruined my career and me as a person. I don’t think I’d be here, nobody would’ve taken me seriously,” he said.

“It looks different for everyone. But all I can say is alcohol can’t be your source of happiness. That’s where it goes wrong,” he said.