Legendary actress and musician Winnie Khumalo has passed away at age 51. Her death was confirmed earlier today by representatives for the family, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Born in Soweto, Khumalo was a prominent figure in the music industry since the 1980s, initially gaining recognition as a teenage artist under the mentorship of Brenda Fassie. Over her decades-long career, she released hit albums such as Hey Laitie and I Just Wanna Live My Life, the latter achieving gold status with over 25,000 copies sold. Khumalo also appeared in popular TV series like Muvhango and Mponeng, showcasing her versatility as a performer.
Khumalo was reportedly ill, and commenting on the matter, her family stated that they are deeply saddened by the loss.
According to TimesLive, Khumalo’s daughter had been out and returned home to take her mother to the hospital, in an attempt to save her life. Khumalo passed away en route to the hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Winnie has left behind a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.
Funeral details will be shared by Khumalo’s family in due course.
A version of this article was first written by Kirshni Kulsen for Cape ETC.
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Featured Image: Instagram | @winnie_khumalo
