Grammy-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder Joseph Shabalala will be honored with an official Category 2 funeral, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this on Sunday.
Shabalala died last week at the age of 78 after an extended illness. The special official funeral category 2 will entail of ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The funeral will take place this Saturday and Ramaphosa has ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast at every flag station in the country until Saturday evening.
"President Ramaphosa has reiterated his sincerest condolences to the Shabalala family, members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and members of the arts and culture fraternities in South Africa and globally with whom Ladysmith Black Mambazo has collaborated for the better part of six decades." Said the presidency.
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The president has also expressed his deepest condolences to the Shabalala family and to the members of the arts and culture fraternity in South Africa and across the globe.
Joseph was born on 28 August in 1941 and his career in the music industry spanned for decades, he traveled all around the world to give his legions of fans a taste of what South African music feels like. His group bagged several Grammy's and worked tirelessly hard to put the South African map high.
In 2008, the group received the National Order of Ikhamanga for putting South African culture on the map on the world map.
