South Africans and the world at large are mourning the death of Loliwe hitmaker Zahara.
According to the South African minister of Culture and Arts Zizi Kodwa, Zahara passed away shortly before 9 m on Monday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Johannesburg.
“I am very saddened by the passing of @ZaharaSA. My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry. The 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 stated.
The news of her passing comes just two weeks after her family was forced to clarify her illness on social media.
In a statement, Zahara’s family said that she was hospitalized physical pains but doctors were attending to her. The family however did not disclose what exactly was ailing her but a report by BBC indicates that she was suffering from liver complications.
Born Bulelwa Mkutukana, Zahara rose to fame in 2011 when she released her album Loliwe.
In total, the 35-year released 5 albums that have seen her scoop 48 awards both internationally and locally. She was also named among the top 100 women by BBC in 2020.
She was the sixth born in a family of 7 children. Her love for music began when she was just six years old, and that saw her join her school choir.
At the age of 9, she was asked to join senior choir because she had a strong voice.
Last year, Zahara said that her music is not meant for bringing her fame and recognition but for “comforting broken souls that need healing.”
Aside from music, she has been using her platforms for championing against violence against women.
With the success in music, Zahara however had her own share of troubles to deal with. From facing depression, to battling alcohol addiction as well as tax woes.
“I used to drink for myself to be happy, but now I saw I was drinking to sleep because of my brother’s death and what the company was doing to me. I couldn’t talk to nobody because I was scared of everything,” she opened up in an interview.
