Reggae Star Lucky Dube Burial Today

Reggae Great Dube

By Moses Serugo
The Monitor (Kampala)

LUCKY Phillip Dube will be laid to rest tomorrow, 10 days after he was slain in a botched car-jacking while dropping off his two teenage children at his brother's house in Johannesburg.

He was travelling in his luxury Chrysler - with personalised number plates - when his assailants struck, shooting him three times. His fans here and across the world will be glad to know that his four alleged killers have been apprehended. They are South Africans Sifiso Mlanga and Julius Gxowa, and Mozambicans Thabo Mafoping and Mbofi Mabe.

The quartet was arraigned on Tuesday this week in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court.

They were not asked to plead and the case was postponed until October 30 to enable them apply for legal aid.

The state opposed bail and the four men will thus remain in custody. They face charges of murder, attempted hijacking and the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Dube's family has requested that the public do not attend his funeral service and burial on Sunday. "The family wishes to respect [his] final wishes to have a small and dignified funeral," family members said in a statement.

Ardent fans who wanted to pay their last respects to Africa's reggae great had to make do with attending a memorial service at Bassline in Newtown Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Dube is survived by his new wife Zanele and seven children, namely, Bongi, Nonkululeko, Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and three-month-old Melokuhle.

The slaying elicited appeals for the South African government to protect its citizens.

Pressure on govt

The country has come under international spotlight and national pressure to curb the escalating and gruesome crime levels, standing at an alleged murder death rate of 50 people per day, making South Africa one of the most dangerous places on earth after Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ironically, and despite research and daily statistics, the South African government is in denial by underplaying the gravity of the problem. The reaction in South Africa to Lucky Dube's killing was one of helplessness, anguish, pain and outrage. There were similar sentiments in Uganda, which probably had his biggest fan base on the rest of the continent. Monday's weekly Jam Session at the National Theatre was dedicated to the reggae maestro where renditions of his songs were sung.

An angry South African criticised the government in these anguished terms: "Is it because of the bodyguards around you, the high walls where you live24-hour security a day that you refuse to hear our desperate plea? Are you waiting to be victims yourselves before you can take action? Farewell Lucky Dube - a victim of circumstances you tried so hard to convince our leaders to acknowledge."

A South African blogger wrote: "Did we have to sacrifice such talent to awaken our government to the reality of crime in today's South Africa? This is a reminder that no one is safe in this country, we are all under siege. Our lives have become so cheap and useless in today's South Africa, how can a person kill Lucky Dube?"

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) condemned "in the strongest possible terms the barbaric and senseless killing by people who have no respect for life".

The party's statement further said: "We urge law enforcement agencies to act promptly in hunting down these nefarious, ruthless criminals who have robbed the Dube family of a father and a son, and a musical icon of all times to South Africa, Africa and the world at large."

President Thabo Mbeki expressed his condolences and appealed to the country to fight the 'scourge' of crime: "This is very, very sad that this happened to an outstanding South African, an outstanding musician, world renowned."