A well-known Cape Flats gospel singer will take the stage for the first time this weekend since his son’s tragic death in June.
Pastor Wilmot Fredericks is set to perform on Sunday at the Every Nation Centre in N1 City.
It has been five months since his son, Wilton Fredericks, 31, a father of three and also a singer, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Nooitgedacht, Bishop Lavis.
Wilton and two friends were standing next to a white Chevrolet bakkie in Ferel Street when two vehicles drove past and people inside opened fired on them.
Wilton’s two childhood friends, Martin Andrews and Carl Arries, died on the scene while Wilton was rushed to hospital where he later died of his injuries.
Convicted killer Cameron Wilson’s father, Abraham Wilson, was arrested for the triple murder days later.
The case is ongoing and Wilson is being incarcerated at Goodwood Prison.
Speaking to the Daily Voice this week, Wilmot says his family is still finding it tough to deal with his son’s death, but the grace of God has carried them through.
“This is the first show I will be staging since his death. It is still tough, but we are holding up. Our faith is our foundation,” says the father.
“We also have a very big support system of family and friends.”
Reflecting on the tragic loss, the pastor says he harbours no anger or ill feelings for something he had no control over.
“The best way to move on is to show love and care to the next person,” he says.
He says he’s finally found the strength to perform in public again.
“The show is called Standing Tall in the Midst of It All, and it is to encourage someone to stand tall, whether you stumble or fall, to get up and rise again,” Wilmot says.
Songs he has written in the past are now applying to his own life.
“I wrote a song a year ago, called Waar Jy Is?, it was for my mother, as one always wonders how it is on the other side. The songs for the show are about our current situation.
“Hope springs forth in a hopeless situation and now I understand my own material. I believe, with the loss of Wilton, it might be dark in this window, but there will be light at the next window of my life.”