Lundi’s final send-off

Family members, musicians, politicians, dignitaries and hundreds of loyal fans attended the funeral of Prince of Gospel Lundi Tyamara at Zwelethemba Sports Stadium, Worcester, yesterday to pay their respects.

A WOMAN who lives in Swaziland travelled 1 700 kilometres to the Western Cape to say goodbye to her hero and friend, Lundi Tyamara.

Thabile Mdluli, who is one of Tyamara’s biggest fans, said it was important for her to pay her last respects to him.

Mdluli said she was hurt when she could not see the singer while he was in hospital. She pointed out that she did not even have money to travel to Worcester, but a woman from Kokstad offered to pay for her ticket to Cape Town.

Mdluli had written a moving tribute on social network.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to come and bury him. But I’m also sad because I lost a true friend. Lundi was a talented person.”

The two met in 1999 on a walk, where Lundi was a surprise celebrity. Since then they continued to communicate and sometimes she would go to his shows for free.

“I would come and visit him in Joburg because he did not regard me as a fan, but a friend and sister. When he had performances in Swaziland I would go to his shows.”

She described Tyamara as a caring and loving person who shared what he had freely. Mdluli said Tyamara had the contact details of all of his big fans and he would call them regularly.

“We got closer to a point that he would tell me when he was broke, and even when he had money, I would send him the little I had.

“When you got to his home, you always found Lundi with many friends. He would sacrifice his bed and sleep on a couch.”

Mdluli said she would forever remember Tyamara’s joyful spirit.

“He used to call me and say ‘Tshomi, uphi? Ndinemali. Iza masonwabeni’ [My friend, where are you? I have money. Come let’s have fun]. That’s the person that Lundi was.”