‘Loliwe’ hitmaker Zahara to be laid to rest today
The late South African artiste Bulelwa ‘Zahara’ Mkutukana is being laid to rest today, December 23, with burial plans underway to ensure a dignified send-off.
South Africa’s Sports, Arts and Culture Minister announced that the Eastern Cape and Gauteng governments will assist in facilitating the funeral arrangements.
A memorial service was held a few days after Zahara’s passing at the Rhema Bible Church in Johannesburg, where friends, family, and industry colleagues gathered to pay their respects and celebrate the life of the 36-year-old hitmaker.
Zahara’s fiancé, Mpho Xaba, shared reflections on the cherished memories they had together.
The memorial service provided an opportunity for those close to the artist to reminisce and honor her legacy.
During the service, Zahara’s sister, Bulelwa Mtukutwana, emotionally took the stage to recount the family’s final moments with the beloved singer.
Mtukutwana revealed that the family received a distressing call from the hospital shortly after their afternoon visit on the fateful Monday, notifying them of Zahara’s deteriorating condition.
“It’s not easy to say she must rest in peace, but she was in pain at the hospital. I remember just after we left for the 3:00 pm visit, at 17:00 pm the doctor called and said we must come back. They told us to stay in the room and wait to see when Bulelwa will leave us. We called you for that. It was so painful; we were crying and prayed for four hours,” she shared.
According to SABC, Zahara’s family stated that she passed away from natural causes, emphasizing that they do not suspect foul play.
“As a family, we take it that our daughter was sick, and we only take it from there. We do not suspect any foul play because we were never told about any foul play. So until we are told otherwise, we are not expecting anything,” said Nkosiyam Mtukana, the family’s spokesperson.