By SAM PHIRI –

PRETORIA was the last stop for the 10th amazing season of Africa’s leading musical reality show SA Idols.
A total number of 79 contenders from all towns have been selected for the theatre week at Sun City.
Like any other town, Pretoria, was not short of drama and recordable moments during the exiting audition period.
There were two touching stories from two contenders who apparently managed to get away with the much desired golden tickets- not because of their moving stories but their voices as well.
Twenty-five-year-old Marrandi Smith told the panel of judges how much she wanted the golden ticket because of challenges she had faced in life from the time she got engaged at a tender age 16.
“I got married at 17 and had twins the following year and at the age of 23, I got divorced, leaving me with a huge burden of twins. I was young and had no income to take care of the children so my parents took them from me. I am here today to try and use my voice so that I can secure a future for my twins,” she narrated.
Amazingly, Smith has a huge potential which even Randall commended meaning it was a three-way yes for the young mother.
It was not only Smith who had a moving reason for attempting Idols but Intoni Mahate too who made the beautiful Unati shed tears not because of her signature laughter but the heart rending story.
The 22-year-old young man narrated before the judges how he gathered courage to come and attempt Idols a week after his girlfriend’s death who left behind a baby.
“My girlfriend always wanted me to try out Idols … she so much believed that I could make it until last week when she passed on few weeks after giving birth to our first baby. That is why I am here to try and do what she had always wanted me to try out,” he said
Even the song he did was one that was somewhat touching such that Unati could not hold back her tears as she listened to the clearly talented voice. It was again a three way yes for the young man who came out of the audition room in tears wishing his girlfriend was with him to see his achievement.
The Season 10 auditions have ended and viewers are expecting more drama and excitement from Sun City during the theatre week, all you need to do is to stay glued to DStv channel 198 and Mzansi channel 161 to see who is leaving and who is staying.