Lucky Dube's Newcastle funeral service cancelled

The Newcastle funeral service for South African reggae star Lucky Dube has been cancelled, spokespersons for the family said on Tuesday.

“The family wishes to respect [his] final wishes to have a small and dignified funeral,” they said in a statement.

The family initially indicated that the public would be welcome at Dube’s funeral service at the Farmers’ Hall in Newcastle on October 28, but not at his burial.

However, on Tuesday their spokesperson said the funeral service had been cancelled.

They said anyone wanting to pay their last respects could do so by attending a memorial service at the Bassline in Newtown at 11am on Wednesday.

Flowers could be delivered to the offices of Slave Promotions, Downtown Studios, Second Floor, 62 Goud Street, Johannesburg.

Dube, a Shembe worshipper, was shot dead in a botched hijacking while dropping off his two teenaged children at his brother’s house in Rosettenville on Thursday.

His four alleged murderers, South Africans Sifiso Mlanga and Julius Gxowa, and Mozambicans Thabo Mafoping and Mbofi Mabe, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

They were not asked to plead and the case was postponed until October 30 to enable them to apply for legal aid. - Sapa