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President Jacob Zuma’s wife joined a chorus of speakers who attacked the media at the first memorial service of late gospel music star S’fiso Ncwane.
Ncwane succumbed to a kidney infection at a hospital in Fourways, Johannesburg, on Monday.
The service – which was attended by S’fiso’s wife, Ayanda and his mother Fikile, and other high profile celebrities including provincial, political and church leaders – was held at the Ethekwini Community Church in Durban today.
Addressing mourners, Tobeka Madiba-Zuma said her husband, Jacob Zuma, could not attend the memorial service because he was meeting Zambian president Edgar Lungu as part of Lungu’s state visit.
Zuma warned her of negative media reports that could be published in the near future and encouraged Ayanda not to pay attention to them.
“A lot has been said [by other speakers] about the media. In our country it is my wish to see media that is patriotic. It is my wish to see a media that, at the very least, respects the dead. The media did report the cause of his death but tomorrow we don’t wish to hear another prognosis about S’fiso’s death. I [hope] that we respect the passing of S’fiso on Earth.”
Madiba-Zuma said she had a recipe for his wife on how to deal with negative media reports.
“That newspaper that will be carrying headlines about you, tomorrow it will covering fish and chips in Soweto. That is how I survive. I brush it off. It doesn’t touch me.”
She urged Ayanda to focus on building relations with people close to her.
“Don’t worry about the outer cycle. So whatever that is said in the media falls under the outer cycle. You have no control whatsoever. What people think about you, you have no control over. Forget about that. Focus your energies so that you can expand your inner cycle, where you have influence. Where you say you can make a choice and cry or say I’m not going to cry. That’s my message to you – don’t worry about what is happening in the outer cycle. That is how we survive the hostility of the media in our country regardless of how hard our president has worked for this country,” the first lady said.
A line up of gospel artists entertained the hundreds of mourners, including KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala, Arts and Culture MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi and ANC Youth League provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo, who packed the venue.
The list included Sipho Makhabane, Dumi Mkokstad, Andile Majola and Nobathembu Mabeka-Mhlongo.
A second memorial service is scheduled to be held at Grace Bible Church in Soweto tomorrow.
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