South African singer Zahara popular for her ‘Loliwe’ hit song breathed her last at a Johannesburg hospital on Monday, 11 December 2023.
Family, Friends and industry colleagues today gathered at Rhema Bible Church in Johannesburg for a memorial service to pay their respects and celebrate the life of Zahara real name Bulelwa Mkutukana.
Zahara’s family shared their final moments with the singer during the memorial service.
The singer’s sister Bulelwa Mtukutwana said the family received a distressing call from the hospital on Monday, shortly after their afternoon visit, notifying them of Zahara’s deteriorating condition.
The singer, who had been hospitalized for three weeks, was in agony and had been intubated. The family rushed back to the hospital after the doctor’s call, witnessing Zahara take her last breath.
“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 3:00pm 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 emotionally said.
Zahara had been admitted to the hospital in November due to liver disease. She was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) during her stay.
The family, however, dispelled suspicions of foul play, particularly concerning allegations of poisoning by a close family member around the time of her lobola negotiations.
“Until we are told otherwise, we are not expecting anything,” the family stated.
The funeral for Zahara is scheduled to take place on 23 December in the Phumlani Informal Settlement of East London, Eastern Cape.
