Renowned South African musician Zahara (real name Bulelwa Mkutukana) has passed away at the age of 35.
Zahara, hitmaker of gospel song Loliwe, reportedly breathed her last at a private hospital in Johannesburg on Monday night.
News of her demise was confirmed by the Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture Zizi Kodwa who passed on a heartfelt condolence message to the bereaved family.
“I am very saddened by the passing of @ZaharaSA. My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry.
“Government has been with the family for some time now. Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music,” Kodwa wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Reports indicate that Zahara was admitted to hospital a week before her untimely death.
A statement from her family about her health situation read; Zahara has been admitted to the hospital following a week of complaints about physical pains. The doctors are working diligently, and we await further updates from them.”
Speculations regarding her health condition spread fast on the internet, forcing her family to release another statement clarifying the matter.
“Unfortunately, even though our daughter’s hospitalization has been of strict confidentiality within our family and close friends, that hasn’t stopped the spread of disingenuous information on the internet.
“We want to stress that any reliable information regarding Zahara’s health will be communicated via her official social media platforms or by herself,” read their statement.
They went on to express confidence that Zahara would be out of hospital and back on the road to spread the gospel ministry which she had been doing for some time.
The deceased became a global hitmaker with her 2011 viral song ‘Loliwe’. Over the years, Zahara became a respectable figure in the music industry. She amassed over 17 awards in South Africa alone.
She would later earn a seat as a place in the BBC’s 2020 list of 100 Women. the following year, she graced the seventeenth season of Idols South Africa as a guest judge.
Millions of people globally are mourning Zahara’s demise as they celebrate her contribution to the world.
