Dube to get private send-off
nternational friends of slain reggae icon Lucky Dube will join his family tomorrow, when he is laid to rest.
But the bad news for his fans is that the funeral, at Dube’s farm in Ngogo, KwaZulu Natal will not be open to the public, despite earlier reports that Dube had requested in his will that his funeral be open to all-comers.
The murder of Dube, which police say was the result of a botched hijack, has resonated around the world.
Family spokesperson Lenah Mochoele yesterday dismissed reports that Dube’s will had said he wanted his funeral to be open to the public.
Mochoele said the Dube family had intended to hold a funeral ceremony at the Newcastle Hall, followed by burial at the Newcastle cemetery.
However, all this changed when Dube’s lawyer, who had been out of the country, arrived home and told his family that the musician had wanted a private and dignified burial.
Mochoele said Dube’s wish to have a public funeral would have caused a major challenge in terms of logistics, due to the popularity of the late artist.
Those who would attend the funeral included family members, church representatives and many of Dube’s close friends, including several from Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Swaziland, Britain and the United States.
Mochoele said most of the foreigners were music promoters and members of the media with whom Dube had worked during his performances abroad.
KZN Premier S’bu Ndebele, Arts, Culture and Tourism MEC Weziwe Thusi and Newcastle mayor Constance Lungile Dube will also attend.
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has sent a message of condolence to Dube’s family, saying he had learnt of Dube’s death with great sadness.
British pop star Peter Gabriel, in a message read out to the mourners at a memorial held for Dube in Joburg on Wednesday, recalled the “extraordinary” talent of Dube, who sold millions of albums around the world in a career that spanned two decades.
“I am extremely upset to learn of the loss of such a wonderful artist in such an unnecessary and brutal way,” said Gabriel, who first came across Dube when they jointly campaigned against the apartheid regime.
Dube, who released 22 albums during his career, was Africa’s leading reggae artist and also had a huge international following.
He did 81 shows outside Africa, according to his recording company, Gallo.
He is the only reggae artist to have attracted a crowd nearly as big as all-time reggae legend Bob Marley when he performed in Jamaica.
In yet another tribute to Dube, the Rastafarian community in Durban was to hold a memorial service at the Durban City Hall on Saturday.
The memorial was to be open to members of the public, and the Durban mayor, Obed Mlaba, was expected to address the gathering, according to one of the organisers, Lwazi Xaba.
Since his fans could not attend his funeral, Rastafarians in Durban saw this as the only way they could pay their last respects to the man whose music had touched the hearts of many, Xaba said.
[Via IOL]
