Zahara, a 36-year-old South African singer-songwriter, died on December 11 from liver disease. Her manager, Oyama Dyosiba, confirmed the news, revealing that the singer had been hospitalized after complaining of physical pains. Zahara died in a hospital in Johannesburg.
South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, expressed condolences to the Mkutukana family and the country’s music industry, recognizing Zahara’s lasting impact on South African music.
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.”
Dyosiba revealed in 2019 that Zahara’s alcoholism had contributed to her liver disease. Nomonde, the singer’s sister, revealed in the same year that doctors said:
If she continues drinking, she is going to die… We are making sure that there is always someone around her to monitor her so that she doesn’t start drinking again.”
Zahara spoke candidly about using alcohol as a coping mechanism
In a 2019 interview with Times Live, Zahara spoke candidly about using alcohol as a coping mechanism after the death of her brother. She admitted to drinking to numb her pain rather than for joy, citing fear as a barrier to seeking help.
Zahara, or Bulelwa Mkutukana, was a self-taught guitarist who rose to prominence with her debut album, Loliwe, in 2011. The album was a commercial success, and it received the Album of the Year award at the South African Music Awards.
She grew up listening to songs on the radio that her mother played and discovered her love of singing when she became the lead singer of her Sunday school choir at the age of six. She claimed to have had no formal musical training.