Grammy award winning South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo were planning to host a huge 60th birthday bash, but death had other plans.

Now the group is planning to pay their last tributes for their founder Joseph Shabalala who died last week.

Several memorial services to pay tribute to the late Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder Joseph Shabalala will take place across the country this week, the group’s manager Xolani Majozi said at the weekend.

“Professor Joseph Shabalala was a global icon, a valued and celebrated father figure of our rainbow nation, whose untimely death came at the time when Ladysmith Black Mambazo is currently touring the USA and planned to tour around the country later this year,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

On their return to SA, the group had planned to celebrate their 60th anniversary with a huge birthday bash.

“There are a number of planned pre-funeral activities to celebrate the life and times of Professor Shabalala as a global icon, and to give an opportunity for ordinary South Africans to come together in various provinces to pay their last respects to our globally celebrated hero.”

The events planned for this week are:

• Ladysmith: Professor Joseph Shabalala Memorial Service open to all artists and all citizens, to be held at Ladysmith Indoor Sports Centre on Tuesday, February 18 from 11am
• Durban: Professor Joseph Shabalala Memorial Service open to all artists and general citizens, to be held at the Durban Playhouse on Wednesday, February 19 from 1pm — 4pm
• Joburg: Professor Joseph Shabalala Memorial Service open to all artists and general citizens, on Thursday, February 20, Standard Bank arena, 1pm — 4pm
• Ladysmith: The official funeral service, AG Magubane stadium in Steadville, Saturday, February 22.
• Shabalala died in a Pretoria hospital on Tuesday at the age of 78 after a long illness.

Image: BBC.CO.UK

T.Nkabinde