Her childhood friends called her Spinach, her fans called her Country Girl and the world called her Zahara.
To her mom, she was simply Bulelwa Mtukutana.
She was a vocal powerhouse who went on to become a multi-award winning singer. Friends, family and industry executives gathered to bid farewell to Zahara at the Rhema Bible Church in Randburg.
Her guitar was on stage with two white candles and a picture of her carrying the instruments most of her close friends says she loved so dearly.
As people walked into the church arena, they were greeted by all Zahara’s music. Musicians such as Siphokazi, Ntando Bangani, Vusi Nova, Ringo and Eugene Mthethwa, just to name a few came to support the family.
Starting the ceremony wearing a mustard Kimono with a matching skirt was Unathi Nkayi, the programme director. She opened the ceremony by giving mourners the meaning of Zahara name, Bulelwa which is similar to gratitude.
She called one of Zahara’s friends, Vusi Nova, who opened the service with the hymn Lizalisa Idinga Lakho which lifted the room and the auditorium joined in and sing.
Read more | ‘I don’t know how to speak about her in the past tense’ – Vusi Nova on losing Zahara
Heptor Mailula from the South African Music Industry Council (SAMIC) says as the music industry they are saddened by the passing away of songbird Bulelwa. He says as SAMIC they are deeply concerned and the same time they are rejoicing because the life of Bulelwa is being celebrated.
“Let’s appreciate God for the gift that was Zahara. We witness the hanging up of her guitar, but the beat goes on."
Somizi Mhlongo took accountability of not being there for Zahara when she was still alive even though he knew what she was going through.
“I am one of the people who don’t like speeches, I even put it in my will. I will tell you why I don’t like speeches because a part of me feels like we boxed and pack everything in real life and save it for speeches at the funeral. And we hope that the person we speaking to can hear us, but we don’t know. Why do we save all this time when we could’ve told this person what I am about to say.”
He says we can only imagine what happens at the other side, because no one knows if there is even the other side.
“We live in hope based on our religion and our beliefs that they are one the other side. When are we going to learn to say what we feel when we feel it at that time. Chances are 80% of people in this room haven’t seen Zahara in months but we flew and drove from everywhere in the world and made that effort because she’s gone. I am big on telling the person how I feel at the time, and I never run out of, I love you, I care, are you okay?”
Somizi shared how he met Zahara before she became a star.
“I met her before she recorded her album. She was busking at a restaurant in East London, and she always likes telling the story that I was the first person to give her a paper note in her basket. I had a stack of R20 notes and I made her repeat this one part of the song, Loliwe. That song was a hit before she even recorded it. I knew from that time, and as fate had it, she became a big star.”
Addressing why he was trending after it was reported that Zahara’s passed away, he says he posted something about how the industry and friends failed Zahara.
Read more | LOOKING BACK | 'I am Zahara, a creative, a healer through music'
“We have failed her, and we owe her an apology. I am one of the people who owe her an apology. There was a time I was hosting the SAMAs and I made a joke about her drinking. Only later I realised that what I say to people and how I make people feel is very important and I have learned my lesson.
“I took it as a joke and I didn’t know how much I have hurt people, I have realised that I have hurt her and luckily we had time on earth to reconcile and become friends again. But still she went through a rough time, and I was nowhere, we were nowhere. We have carried on with our lives. What I am learning from Zahara’s story is to do better. Stop making fun of other people’s downfall. Besimhleka, besimhleba (we laughed at her and gossiped about her) and didn’t help her.”
Ringo gave a beautiful rendition of Zahara's Loliwe, but it was not until singer Brenda Mtambo took to the stage to sing Xa Bendino Mama that everyone in the house was on their feet dancing along. It was followed by a moving tribute when she sang Zahara's Ndiza.
There was not a dry eye in the room when her sister, Lumka spoke of Zahara's last few days.
Lumka told mourners that her knees felt so weak because she doesn’t know what to say.
“This girl came to Joburg when she was young. She would sometimes tell us not to worry, that she will be able to live in Joburg. Sometimes when we see her going through a rough patch and tell her to come back home, she would say God brought her to this place and God will remove her from this place. As we are here today, God made a decision.”
She says it wasn’t easy. She remembers when they went to visit Zahara at the hospital on Monday.
“We were from our visit from the hospital at 3pm, we left her breathing with pipes. It is not easy for us to say Bulelwa must rest in peace because she was in so much pain in that hospital. At 5pm we got a call to come back, when we get to the hospital the nurse told us to stay in the room because she might leave us anytime. It was painful, we were crying, we had hope that Bulelwa is strong, she won’t leave us. After four hours the doctor told us that the machine writes zero, that she has left us. I remember I was chilling by her bed, my brother was hugging her. I remember I heard the sound and I knew it was time.”
Her funeral will be held in East London on 23 December.
