The music fraternity, family, friends and fans have gathered at the eThekwini Community Church in Durban this morning to pay their last respects to musician and record producer Mandla “Mampintsha“ Maphumulo.
Mampintsha, of the award-winning group Big Nuz, died on Saturday, December 24, after suffering a stroke.
“Mandla fell seriously ill on December 15, and the family decided to take him to the King Edward hospital. He was later transferred to Durdoc Hospital, where he passed on Saturday, December 24,” said Mbongeni Welcome Simelani, Mampintsha’s father-in-law, during a recent press conference.
“Mandla took his last breath at 6am at the hospital, surrounded by his family.”
Mampintsha died a little more than two days after the Durban-based record label, Afrotainment, had released a statement confirming that the popular muso had suffered a stroke.
“This is a public notification by Afrotainment, a record label based in Durban, KZN, South Africa. This statement serves as a notification to the public, media, promoters and Big Nuz fans about businessman and artist, Mandla Maphumulo,” read the Afrotainment statement.
Watch the memorial service below, courtesy of the SABC.
While the Maphumolos and Simelanes (Mampintsha’s wife Bongekile “Babes Wodumo" Simelane’s family) have maintained a united front, it seems there has been war brewing between the two families.
This comes after reports that Mampintsha’s mother Zama Gumede had allegedly been denied access to view her son’s body.
In a video clip shared by Sihle Mavuso on Twitter, a group of women from Mampintsha’s family are seen picketing outside the Clermont Icebolethu Mortuary, and the words “she (referring to Gumede) just wants to see her son for the last time” can be heard.
"WATCH: It looks like Mampintsha's funeral will be marred by war of words between those from his mother's side in KwaMashu and the family of Babes Wodumo. Apparently, this unnecessary drama unfolded outside the mortuary earlier today," tweeted Mavuso.
WATCH: It looks like Mampintsha's funeral will be marred by war of words between those from his mother's side in KwaMashu and the family of Babes Wodumo. Apparently this unnecessary drama unfolded outside the mortuary earlier today. pic.twitter.com/mnJu8etwaB
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) December 28, 2022
According to the Daily Sun, the two families are allegedly fighting over funeral arrangements. The publication also reported that Gumede only found out via media that her son had died.
“Mampintsha passed away on Saturday, December 24, but I was never informed. I only learnt from the media that my son had passed on,” she told the publication.
She also told the publication that she had not seen her son’s body.
“In fact, I don’t even know where they have his body. I will never be at peace or get closure unless I see my son’s body.”
According to the family spokesperson, Zandile Maphumulo told the publication the family was “wondering why” Gumede was distancing herself after the news broke of her son’s death.
Zandile was quoted as saying: “We expected you to come immediately after the news otherwise we were not going to invite you.”
Mampintsha’s funeral service will take place on Friday, December 30, at the Durban ICC from 9am.