Kammala jumlar da ke gaba: An haifi Mahlangu a Pretoria a ranar 10 ga Yuli 1956, ɗan na biyu na Martha Mahlangu. Mahaifinsa ya tafi a 1962 kuma a sakamakon haka mahaifiyarsa, ma'aikacin gida, ya tashe shi. Ya halarci Makarantar Sakandaren Mamelodi har zuwa Standard 8 (shekara ta goma ta makaranta), amma an katse karatunsa a shekarar 1976 saboda tashe-tashen hankulan kungiyar.
Tashin Soweto wanda ya haifar da rufe makarantu.