Late pop diva Brenda Fassie’s funeral scheduled for Sunday has been postponed by a week, the organisers said on Wednesday. Fassie’s manager Peter Snyman said this was done to enable members of the 2010 World Cup Soccer bid, including President Thabo Mbeki, to attend the event.
The local singer, who died in Johannesburg at the weekend, would now be laid to rest in Langa township in Cape Town on May 23.
”A number of ministers who are part of the soccer bid delegation to Zurich have indicated they want to attend the funeral and requested the postponement,” said Snyman.
”The family agreed and also felt the function was too big to organise over a week. We do not want to make this funeral a Mickey Mouse affair so we felt the extra days will give us enough time to make proper arrangements.”
Snyman said there has been no changes to the memorial service to take place at the Grace Bible church in Pimville, Soweto at noon on Thursday.
A prayer service, which was to take place in Langa on Thursday, has also been postponed to next week.
Meanwhile it was reported on Wednesday, a working committee co-ordinating the singer’s funeral arrangements had not decided whether to embalm or cremate her.
Fassie died after being admitted at Sunninghill hospital where she spent two weeks in a coma following an asthma attack.
On Friday, Mbeki is to make a final presentation of the 2010 Soccer World Cup bid to the Federation of International Football Association executive in Zurich. – Sapa