President Jacob Zuma has declared a special provincial official funeral for the late South African musician and legendary composer Ray Phiri. Phiri died last week Wednesday morning at a hospital in Nelspruit. He was 70 years old at the time of his death and had been battling lung cancer.
“This category of a funeral is designated by the President of the Republic of South Africa for distinguished persons. The president has instructed that the national flag be flown at half-mast in Mpumalanga province on Saturday, the day of his funeral,” the Presidency said on a statement.
Ray Phiri was a founding member of the Cannibals in the 1970s. Later, the Cannibals would grow in size and rename themselves, becoming the hugely influential Afro-fusion band Stimela. Stimela recorded best-selling albums like Fire, Passion and Ecstacy in 1991 and Look, Listen and Decide the following year.
Friends and relatives have said Ray Phiri was known as humble, generous and humorous person. Despite having shared the stage with other musical greats such as Paul Simon and receiving many accolades, friends say Phiri remained a humble man.
Fellow artist and friend Yvonne Chaka Chaka said, “The Ray Phiri I remember is selfless, humble and modest. Being a big star, he just acted like a normal man. He was not pompous and he was approachable – he was just down to earth and yet he was this big mega star.”
The Presidency said further details of the funeral will be communicated by the Mpumalanga provincial government.