KZN floods wreak havoc with Deborah’s burial
DURBAN - The burial of gospel legend Deborah Fraser has been postponed due to torrential rains and flooding in KwaZulu-Natal.
Fraser who was scheduled to be laid to rest on Saturday, May 21, will now be buried today. The family Spokesperson Busi Shibodze confirmed to IOL Entertainment that the family could not proceed with the burial service due to the severe rains in the province, this past weekend.
“I can confirm that we were not able to continue with the burial on Saturday, due to the heavy floods, so, therefore, the burial has been postponed to Tuesday, (May 24),” said Shibodze.
Family, friends and industry colleagues had gathered at The Station Venue in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday, to bid farewell to the doyenne of Gospel. Paying emotional tributes to their mother, Nkosana and Aaliyah said they were still battling to come to terms with their loss.
“... I’m not going to lie to you, Mum was not okay, especially this year. Death is not something you can get used to. I catch myself sitting in the car alone and realising it is real; Ma is gone,” said Nkosana.
He added: “Anyone who was close to my mum’s heart knew it was filled with love. Ma, I would like to thank you for teaching me to be humble. I would like to thank you for teaching me not to look down on others. I want to thank you for everything you have done for me and the family.”
A grief-stricken Aliyah also took to the stage to pay her last respects to her mum, whom she referred to as her ‘best friend’.
“I may have lost a mother but I have gained a very powerful guardian angel. Thank you for everything,” she said. “There was so much I wanted to still learn from you, but I thank God for what I have learnt already. There was so much I still wanted to do for you.”
Fraser passed away on Sunday, May 15, at Baragwanath Hospital, in Soweto, after a short illness. She was 56.
them, I’d probably be someone else.
They are the ones who comfort me when people criticise me,” he told TshisaLIVE.
He is gearing up for an upcoming exhibition at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg. The Zimbabwean-born artist is expected to showcase 300 portraits at the museum from May 27 until December 2022.
“They will learn art is something very powerful. I’ve seen children come in and out of the museum, so my painting will be a learning curve for them. They will recognise some faces there, including Chris Hani and Robert Mugabe.
“They will learn the history of politics, sports and performing arts in SA. I tried to capture the most powerful ones during my time,” he said.