A throwback photo of the late Loliwe hitmaker was shared on her Instagram on Monday, 19 December. South African award-winning musician, Zahara – real name Bulelwa Mkutukana died last week Monday, 11 December at a Johannesburg hospital and will be buried in East London on Saturday, 23 December.Zahara was “surrounded by family and loved ones” when she died a week ago. Her memorial took place at the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg on Thursday, 14 December. Her lifeless body has since been delivered to her hometown, East London as seen in a TikTok video posted on Saturday,16 December.
Over the years, Zahara has won her fans’ hearts with hits like Phendula, Ndiza, Bendirongo, and more. Taking a trip down memory lane at her memorial service, her sister, Bulelwa Mkutukana said she was present in the hospital room when Zahara took her last breath.“She was in pain at the hospital. I remember just after we left for the 15h00 visit, at 17h00 the doctor called and said we must come back. When Mama, Junior, and I got there, they told us to stay in the room and wait because Bulelwa would not be around for long… It was so painful, we were crying and prayed for four hours,” Bulelwa said.In a statement shared by the family, it was said that Zahara will be remembered as a “beacon of hope, a gift, and a blessing to us and countless people around the world.”
Speaking to the SABC, family spokesperson Nkosiyam Mkutukana was quoted as saying. “We would like her to be remembered as a very humble child, very kind… she put our family where it is now during her life she did what she did to put us in greater heights we would love people to remember her as a hero.”According to TshisaLIVE, actress Lusanda Mbane recently took a trip from Johannesburg to Phumlani Informal Settlement in East London to deliver Zahara’s accolades, guitar, and pay her respects to the family. The duo reportedly met through a two-hour interview on TruFM and formed a sisterhood.
“I was there for her when she needed me as a big sister, and I was there when we had fun as well but that didn’t always end well because the big sister in me would always come out and Bulelwa was very stubborn,” Mbane was quoted as saying.
“The light moments were when we would sit on her patio and talk about life. She would cook lunch and supper for me, and she would sing for me… When she went into hospital I was in communication with everyone around her. It was a very unsettling, very emotional time,” she reportedly added.