Shahada Ndaba

Shahada Ndaba (born January 27th 2020) is a South African musician who was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Fall Out Boy cover band Young Volcanoes between 2041 and 2047.

Born in Johannesburg and raised in a working-class family, Ndaba formed Young Volcanoes with bassist Jade Wan and drummer Dolly Constance in 2041, adding Pavlova as bass guitarist and backup vocalist in 2045. Ndaba attracted global attention and notoriety when President Richard Dlamini died during the band’s final performance, leading to her retreat from public view.

Early lifePermalink

Shahada Ndaba was born in the south of Johannesburg, South Africa on January 27th 2020 to Khanyisile Ndaba, a domestic worker, and an unknown father who disappeared soon after her birth. She is of mixed Black-Indian descent.

Raised in a working-class household, Ndaba’s mother had limited access to formal education or healthcare resources. Ndaba attended public school and was noted by teachers for behavioural difficulties from a young age, including emotional dysregulation, physical altercations, truancy, and social withdrawal. Former classmates recall that she often cried in class, struggled to form friendships, and was largely perceived as “a strange girl.” ^[1]

Young VolcanoesPermalink

Ndaba formed Young Volcanoes as a Fall Out Boy cover band with Jade Wan and Dolly Constance in 2041, after they began to exchange playlists and journal entries through Livewire. Ndaba traces her love of Fall Out Boy back to her first viewing of The Young Blood Chronicles at some point in 2037, describing the experience as “snapping something missing, something that was taken, back in place.” ^[2] She has also stated that the “overwhelming energy and emotion” of the Palestinian Spring was a key factor in bringing the young women together. ^[3]

As Young Volcanoes released their first cover tracks on Livewire and started performing at grassroots events at independent venues, Ndaba gained a following for her outspoken criticism of South Africa’s treatment of women and its adoption of G6. The band’s inclusion of Pavlova in 2045 quickly became a novelty for local audiences, with media coverage framing her as a political statement about technology, labour, and sexuality. ^[4] Ndaba consistently denied any intentional messaging, once describing Pavlova’s inclusion as “the way you would include any friend in your band who wanted to be a part of it.”

Death of Richard DlaminiPermalink

On April 27th 2047, Young Volcanoes was commissioned to play at a government gala held in Cape Town to celebrate its sixth year of G6 membership. It remains unknown how the band came to be selected for the event, given its history of anti-G6 and anti-establishment rhetoric.

During their rendition of “West Coast Smoker,” Ndaba was seen turning to the rest of the band and winking after singing “Don’t feel bad for the suicidal cats / Gotta kill themselves nine times before they get it right.” Former President Richard Dlamini, who was in conversation with his deputy at that moment, reportedly clutched his chest, stumbled backwards, and began to convulse as Ndaba sang “Oh hell yes, I’m a nervous wreck!” and the band repeatedly screamed “Hell yes!”

Official accounts have attributed Dlamini’s death to an intracranial aneurysm, though speculation persists that his death was either triggered or exacerbated by an affective perception feedback (APF) loop catalysed by Young Volcanoes’ performance. No official charges were filed against the band, but Ndaba’s subsequent disappearance from public life led to wide-ranging theories about her involvement, intentional or otherwise. ^[5]

On October 3rd 2049, President Kenneth Khumalo mentioned Ndaba in a televised speech, voicing his suspicion that she was “responsible or involved” in the assassination of Xu Shaoyong, which he repeatedly likened to the death of Dlamini.

See alsoPermalink

• Young Volcanoes

ReferencesPermalink