Tears roll at service for gospel hitmaker

A few minutes before being whisked away from her late husband's memorial service, gospel star Sfiso Ncwane's widow, Ayanda, was overcome by emotion.

Throughout the five-hour long service at the packed eThekwini Community Church in Durban yesterday, she had put on a brave face as she grieved the loss of her husband of nine years.

Ncwane died on Monday from kidney failure. The singer is best known for his award-winning track Kulungile Baba.

She was comforted by their eldest son, Ngcweti, who kept on talking and holding her hand.

At one stage he kissed her while the gospel music his father became famous for rang out.

Among those who offered words of comfort was President Jacob Zuma's wife, Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, who also used the occasion to berate South Africa's "unpatriotic" media.

Madiba-Zuma accused the media of being hostile to her husband.

She used a verse from Psalm 23 to comfort Ayanda, telling her: "There is no widow in God. If you're a God-fearing woman, the solution to your problems is the distance between your knees and the floor. You must fix your eyes to the cross."

The first lady told mourners she had been deeply touched by the tribute paid by Ngcweti to his father on Instagram, which she said showed the relationship he had with his father.

Ngcweti wrote: "To my father, thank you for everything you have done. I know you didn't mean to leave us. There will never be another loving father like you."

Ncwane will be buried at Heroes Acre Cemetery in Chesterville after a funeral service at Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow.

It will be broadcast on TV and radio stations.