“You Had Me in Tears”: Sara-Jayne Makwala-King Shares Her Adoption Story and Search for Her SA Roots

• A celebrated radio presenter shared her personal life story, which began with a profound and devastating family secret
• The moving account, uploaded on YouTube, detailed her birth in apartheid South Africa and her subsequent adoption in the UK
• Social media users responded with immense empathy, sharing tears, offering comfort, and expressing admiration for her resilience

A compelling video offered a poignant look into the extraordinary life story of a well-known radio presenter and author.

The raw account, shared on YouTube by Briefly TV Life, touched countless viewers, drawing an emotional outpouring from social media users.

The powerful video featured Sara-Jayne Makwala-King, a respected radio presenter and author, recounting her remarkable life journey. Her story started with a devastating secret, rooted in the harsh realities of apartheid South Africa. Born to a white British woman and a Pedi father, her very existence broke the country's oppressive laws at the time.

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At only six weeks old, she faced an unimaginable ordeal: she was smuggled out of the country, under the guise of sickness. Her parents, desperate to protect her, informed everyone she had died, allowing her to be given up for adoption in the United Kingdom.

Finding her way back home

In this candid account, Sara-Jayne detailed the painstaking process of uncovering the truth about her origins. This quest began when, at the age of 14, she discovered a hidden letter that revealed her concealed past. Her journey involved confronting painful rejections as she sought answers. Later in life, she made the significant decision to travel to South Africa, driven by an innate desire to find her biological father. She described feeling an immediate sense of belonging, a profound connection, the moment she first set foot on South African soil at the OR Tambo International Airport.

Her search culminated successfully when, following a radio interview and the assistance of 'Twitter investigators' and others who heard her plea, she was contacted with a photograph that led her to her father. She mentioned that her adoptive mother had always been open about the fact that she did not carry her. Today, Sara-Jayne is a mother herself and has successfully established connections with her biological father and her siblings.

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SA reacts to the moving story

The video shared on YouTube touched social media users, many of whom openly shared that they shed tears while watching Sara-Jayne's narrative unfold. Many extended comforting words, reassuring her that her biological mother was likely thinking about her, but was paralysed by the fear associated with the lie she had told. This compassionate understanding highlighted a collective empathy for the difficult choices forced upon families by discriminatory laws. Others promised to buy her book, eager to delve deeper into her inspiring story.

User @lindiematshaba-moyo5547 commented:

"It's awesome you got the chance to meet your bio dad, and that he was happy to have you. Sadly, your biological mom reacted that way, especially now that she is close by and is in Cape Town. She is missing out on love cause I believe you have a lot of love to give. She does think of you, but I believe she is ashamed of the lies she told."

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User @shereecockman3611 added:

"You had me in tears, happiness."

User @martharinebiseko1457 shared:

"An emotional story yet said with grace. Hugs from Uganda."

User @summerwilliams3659 said:

"Your story is amazing. I especially love your perspective on how adoption can be prevented by the redistribution of resources to assist the biological parents instead of removing children from their culture and communities."

User @famfam7367 commented:

"What a forgiving story, and a very graceful lady! Happy you reconnected with your dad! I will get your book."

Watch the YouTube video below:

3 Briefly News articles about rejection

• A furious man rejected his girlfriend's proposal at a mall and ignored shoppers who were screaming, begging him to say yes.
• Grade 12 boarding school learners each read out the same rejection letter from the same university, laughing at how all eight of them were not accepted.
• A 60-year-old mkhulu who went on a date with three women around the ages of 43 and rejected two in their faces, saying they didn't suit him.

Source: Briefly News