Melody Zekey

South African music sensation Zahara had sadly passed away.
The Loliwe hitmaker was admitted in hospital with liver complications two weeks ago. It’s reported the singer passed away just before 9pm on Monday night and her fiance was by her side.

South African Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa confirmed the news on his X handle. “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”

Zahara was born ‘Bulelwa Mkutukana’ on 9th November 1988 in the Phumlani Informal Settlement outside of East London in Eastern Cape, South Africa.
A week ago, the family confirmed that Zahara was hospitalised for a week.
The statement read: “Unfortunately, even though our daughter’s hospitalisation 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.”

Zahara was admitted to a medical ward but her condition became worse and she was transferred to the ICU section of the private hospital reportedly unresponsive.
The singer’s family from East London also arrived in Joburg to be by the singer’s fiancé, Xaba’s, side.

In March 2023, Zahara got engaged to her partner engineer Mpho Xaba, who proposed at her home in Johannesburg with close family and friends present.
Although her life was now in Johannesburg, Zahara’s heart was still at home. In one of her interviews she said, “I love coming to my village because when I get here, my spirit gets freed and I get love because I know I’m coming to my Mama’s house. This was where I was born and bred and buttered”.

Zahara is the sixth of seven children. Her accolades include 17 South African Music Awards, three Metro FM Awards, and one Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Zahara was on the 2020 list of the BBC’s 100 Women. She appeared as a guest judge on the seventeenth season of Idols South Africa in 2021.
Condolences continue to pour in upon the news of her passing. MHSRIP