Award-winning South African Afro-pop singer, Bulelwa Mkutukana, who was popularly known as Zahara, has passed on, according to an announcement by the country’s culture minister.
She had reportedly been in a hospital, battling with liver complications with the assistance of the government. The government had, according to reports, been assisting the family “for a while”, Zizi Kodwa, the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture said.
The songstress garnered fame in 2011 with her album Loliwe, which was loved across the African continent.
In 2019, Zahara opened up about her alcohol addiction battles.
Just last month, the family confirmed she had been admitted to hospital and appealed to South Africans to keep the musician in their prayers.
Unfortunately, the songstress died on Monday night in a Johannesburg hospital, according to state-run SABC news website.
At the time of making this report, her family is yet to release an official statement. Her fans have also been grieving and sharing fond memories of the deceased on social media.
Zahara, who released five music albums, had won dozens of awards both local and international, in the span of her short career. In 2020, her name appeared in the BBC’s 100 Women list.
The songwriter was notable for using her platform to speak out about violence against women in South Africa –an incident personal to her as she had suffered from it.
In an interview with a local radio in 2022, Zahara declared that her music was not for recognition but to bring comfort to broken people that need healing through her songs.
