WATCH LIVE | Friends and family pay tribute to Bob Mabena at memorial service

TV and radio legend Bob Mabena's life and career will be remembered at a memorial service for the star on Thursday.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, attendance at the memorial will be limited to 50 people and it will run for about an hour. Guests are expected to adhere to strict health and safety protocols, including wearing masks and appropriate social distancing.

The service is set to be start at 3pm and will be live streamed online, including on the POWER 98.7 website.

Bob's funeral will be held on Saturday at 12.30pm, with a live broadcast of the service also airing online.

The star, who hosted several major radio and TV shows in a career spanning more than 30 years, died on Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Bob burst on to the scene in 1989 at the age of just 19 when he landed the afternoon drive show on Radio Bophuthatswana (Radio Bop). He went on to host shows on Metro FM, Kaya FM,  Highveld Stereo and POWER 98.7.

He presented several popular TV shows, including On the Beat, Surf Pick a Box game show and Studio Mix with Melanie Son (now Bala).

News of his death sent shock waves across the nation, and left his family devastated.

“The family are at a stage where it is starting to settle in. As you can imagine, it was traumatic for everyone when we all found out initially. It is a roller-coaster ride, emotionally,” family spokesperson Winston Maimane told TshisaLIVE earlier this week.

Winston said Bob first fell ill on Friday and was later admitted to hospital. He spent last weekend in hospital and was discharged on Monday morning.

However, he stopped breathing while on his way home from the hospital.

“I got a call from his wife while they were driving home to say that he had basically just stopped breathing. She said they had just left the hospital and so I told her to make a U-turn and take him back.

“We all rushed there, me and some other friends of his, and we sat with his wife and four-year-old child for two hours while they tried to resuscitate him. Eventually, around two in the afternoon, they confirmed that he had passed.”

POWER 98.7 and Bob's family encouraged those who were mourning him to hold their own virtual memorial services for the star.

“We recognise and appreciate that Mr Bob Mabena belonged to many South Africans, due to the lockdown regulations we will not be able to accommodate all people who may wish to pay their final respects. We wish to encourage people to feel free and set up their own virtual memorial services in his honour.”

Marah Louw on Bob Mabena: ‘You don’t expect someone you know closely to suddenly be gone’

Subscribe for free: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm ​