South African musician Bulelwa Mkutukana popularly known as Zahara died on Tuesday, December 12 at the age of 35.
Zahara, a multi-award-winning artist, breathed her last at a private hospital in Johannesburg on Monday night.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa confirmed her death celebrating her outstanding success in the music industry.
“I am very saddened by the passing of Zahara SA. 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,” shared Kodwa on X.
The award-winning musician, known for hits like “Loliwe,” celebrated her birthday on November 9 before being hospitalized.
The hospitalization came after her fiancé, Mpho Xaba, paid the lobola (marriage price).
Doctors detected her damaged liver despite her spending two weeks in the medical ward and then being transferred to the ICU.
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Zahara reportedly went into a coma when her lungs collapsed, and her kidneys were harmed.
Her family, as well as her manager, Oyama Dyobisa released statement on November 27 confirming that she was hospitalized and asked for privacy and prayers for her speedy recovery.
Zahara Alcohol Addiction
In 2019, Zahara was hospitalized for the same health condition after which she opened up about up her battle with alcohol addiction.
At the time, her manager confirmed that she had spent her festive season in hospital after the doctors told her family that her liver was severely damaged.
In addition, the doctors warned her to stay away from alcohol if she wanted to live longer.
Further, in her earlier in interviews with TimesLive the singer shared that she was battling with depression as a victim of cyberbullying.
“People go through depression whether I know it or don’t know it. There’s no way I did not go through depression.
There’s no way that I did not feel what you guys were saying to me, the daggers that you were pointing at me and digging me, that I did feel no pain.”
The singer also shared how she fell into drinking as a way to deal with the loss of her brother.
“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 said.
Happy Moments
Loliwe, the singer’s debut studio album, was certified double platinum in 2011. Two years later, she released Phendula, followed by Country Girl in 2015.
Throughout her career, the Phendula hitmaker has won numerous honors. She is the recipient of 17 SA Music awards, three Metro FM awards, and one Nigeria Entertainment award.
The self-taught guitarist was doing much better in 2023 as she got engaged to her fiancé early in the year.
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Furthermore, her fiancée had already paid her bride price set to wed before the end of the year.
Notably, this was Zahara’s third proposal.
In 2017, the songstress ended her engagement with ex-fiancé Umhlobo Wenene FM radio presenter Amaza Ntshanga after nearly five years together.
In 2019, the singer reportedly got engaged again to Ian Sibiya, however their relationship was also short-lived.
