South Africa’s Afro-pop singer Zahara dies after battling liver problem

Bulelwa Mkutukana, widely known as Zahara in South Africa, has died.

She died on Monday night in a Johannesburg hospital, at the age of 36.

Her family revealed her death on her Instagram page on Tuesday.

Reacting to her death, the South African Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, in a post on his official X, wrote: “I’m very saddened by the passing of @ZaharaSA. My deepest condolences to the Mkutukana family and the South African music industry.

“The government has been with the family for some time now. Zahara and her guitar made an incredible and lasting impact in South African music.”

ER reports that Zahara, who gained fame for her 2011 album, ‘Loliwe,’ had been hospitalised in November due to liver complications. But her situation deteriorated last week after she was reported to be unresponsive.