UMAKADEBOBONA emidlalweni yethelevishini, u-Eric Don Mlangeni Nawa, siqale ukwazi ngaye enguLaqhasha emdlalweni wamahlaya kwithelevishini iS'gudi S'naysi, ehlale eyofuna izikweletu kuSdumo, okuyindawo eyayilingiswa wuJoe Mafela. Wabuya esenguZakhe Mhlongo kuHlala Kwabafileyo. Nakhona wafike wayibeka induku ebandla.
Ngeminyaka yo-2000 ukhuze ibuya esenguZebedee Matabane kwiSidingo, lapho elingise khona iminyaka ewu-16. Nakule ndawo ufike wakhipha amangwevu ngoba uqale eyisishoshovu samalungelo abasebenzi ngaphambi kokuba wubasi.
UDon wazalelwa eBoksburg ngoJuni 7, 1959 kodwa wakhulela eVosloorus emuva kokukhishwa nguhulumeni wamaBhunu ngoshova.
Ukhuliswe ngudadewabo kanina futhi owayeyiwele nonina.,Wayezalwa umhlengikazi, uLisbert Mlangeni owayesebenza eFree State.
Unguzinyobulala kunina noyise owayenguthisha, kodwa abazali bakhe benezinye izingane.
Waveza ukuthi uyise wakhulelisa unina maqede wakha phansi ngenxa yokuthi wayezalwa wumfundisi, ngakho wayengafuni kwaziwe ukuthi unomntwana amthole ngaphandle komshado. Waze wazi esemdala ukuthi wayezalwa ngubani ngenxa yokuthi umyeni kanina, uMhlongo walibeka ngembaba elokuthi akayifuni ingane angayizali.
Noyise, uTimothy Nawa, waze wahlangana naye eseneminyaka eko-35. Wathi abazali bakhe badlula emhlabeni esekhumelane nabo umlotha ngoba wayefuna isizukulwane sakhe sazi ngemvelaphi yakhe. Ubekhala uma ecabanga ngokukhula ngaphandle kwabazali ngenxa yobunzima ahlangabezane nabo esakhula.
Esikoleni wagcina kuForm 3 (Grade 10). UDon esakhula ubewumdlali obebizwa ngoSugar ngenxa yokuthi wayedlalisa okukaCedric "Sugar Ray" Xulu. Ube esengena ekulingiseni ngo-1976 emuva kokuhlonzwa kwekhono lakhe nguGibson Kente. Wagcina esesheba ukudlala ibhola nokulingisa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi washiya ebholeni wangena ekulingiseni ngokugcwele ngo-1979.
Ngo-1980 wajoyina inkampani kaGibson Kente, kusenoBrenda Fassie. Wake wacula ngokuhlanganyela noBrenda emdlalweni owawuthi Hungry Spoon.
UDon wake wasebenza njengomabhalane efemini. KwiTV uqale kuDeliwe ngo-1983. KwiSidingo waxoshwa ngoba wenqaba ukwenza isikhangiso selinye ibhange kulo mdlalo.
Yize ebenekhono lokulingisa nelokucula, kodwa ubelinyazwa ukungakwazi ukudansa.
UDon ubuye wadlala indawo kaDavid kuBambo Lwami, wadlulela kwiStokvel, Rockville, Uzalo, The River, Abomama, The Throne, The Republic, Losing Lerato, Legacy, The Estate, Good Men, Makoti, uMbali, Shaka Ilembe neSoon Comes Night.
Phezu kweminyaka ewu-45 eyibambile insimbi ishisa emkhakheni wokulingisa, kodwa uDon Mlangeni Nawa uze wahamba emhlabeni engakaze wawina indondo emqhudelwaneni omkhulukazi kuleli, iSouth African Film and Television Awards (Saftas). AmaSaftas asezingeni lamaSouth African Music Awards (Sama).
Ekhuluma noDavid Mashabela, uDon wathi yize enazo ezinye izindondo zeminye imiqhudelwano kodwa kumaSaftas akatholanga neyodwa, okwamenza waba nesilonda esingapholi.
"Bekuba wukuqokwa nje kuphela, cishe amahlandla awu-12 kodwa angikaze ngathola ngisho eyodwa indondo. Imiklomelo enginayo ngeyama-SABC Artes Awards, Star Tonight Awards, Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards namaRoyal Soapie Awards. Okokugcina nje ngangiqokwe eminxeni emibili. Ngokudlala kwiLegacy ngaqokwa kwiBest Actor kwathi ngokulingisa kwi-The Estate ngaqokwa kwiBest Supporting Actor kodwa ngangathola lutho."
Uthe ngokuhlonishwa, wathola iLifetime Achievement Award kumaRoyal Soapie Awards nakuma Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards kuphela. Ubeshadelwe futhi enezingane ezimbili, umfana nentombazane, u-Lwande noLubanzi.