Photographer Sam Nzima’s funeral postponed

The memorial service and the funeral of legendary photographer Sam Nzima have both been postponed – to May 24 and 26 respectively.

This will give the Mpumalanga provincial government enough time to prepare for the two occasions, the provincial department of arts and culture said yesterday.

Spokesperson for the department Sibongile Nkosi told the African News Agency that both the memorial service and the funeral would take place at Lilydale, which is Nzima’s home village, in Bushbuckridge.

“The provincial government requested the family for the postponement and reached an agreement with them about the dates,” said Nkosi.

“The postponement is because of the magnitude of the funeral. It will be a special provincial official funeral category 2. And a funeral requires a lot of preparations.”

Nzima’s son, Thulani Nzima, said this week his family had made arrangements to hold the memorial service and the funeral on May 17 and 19.

He confirmed yesterday that the provincial government requested his family for the postponement.

Nzima died on May 12 at Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela after a short illness. He was 83.

He is best known for the famous photo depicting Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying the dying Hector Pieterson during the 1976 uprising in Soweto. – ANA

Picture: Michel Bega COMMEMORATION. A painter works on a portrait of photographer Sam Nzima on Thursday in Parktown, Johannesburg. Nzima was best-known for his photo of a dying young Hector Pieterson in the 1976 Soweto uprising.