Raised in the United States without knowing her father, she turned to YouTube in 2010 and wrote a message to South African media personality Khaya Dlanga, asking for help in locating him.
In the emotional post, she expressed deep pain, explaining that she had never met her father and only had photos of him. She said she simply wanted to speak with him and know him as a parent.
She wrote: “My name is Amala Dlamini. My father’s name is Dumisani Dlamini. I am 14 years old and I have never seen him. I only have pictures of him. He doesn’t have Facebook or anywhere I can find him.
He was in Sarafina and performed on Broadway in New York. I want to find him. There are many people named Dlamini on Facebook, and I don’t know if any are related to me. It hurts… I just want to talk to my dad.”
After seeing the message, Khaya Dlanga said it deeply moved him, and he shared it publicly, asking for help in finding Dumisani Dlamini, who is known for his role in the film and stage production Sarafina.
Although some people tried to assist at the time, the effort did not immediately succeed. As a result, Doja Cat grew up without establishing a relationship with her father.
Recently, Dumisani Dlamini spoke out, saying he never intentionally abandoned his daughter, contrary to what many believed.
He explained that the situation stemmed from a difficult relationship with Doja Cat’s mother, which prevented him from being close to his child. He said he wanted to be part of her life but faced barriers that made it impossible.
He added that his absence was not by choice, but rather the result of circumstances and strained relations between the parents.
These statements differ from what many had assumed—that he had simply walked away from his daughter.
Despite this, the story of how Doja Cat grew up without her father remains widely discussed, especially in understanding her childhood and how it may have influenced her life and career today.
