Bulelwa Mkutukana, better known by her stage name Zahara, was an award-winning Afro-pop singer from South Africa. Her minister of culture made the announcement today.

According to Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, the family had been receiving government assistance “for some time” while she was in the hospital, allegedly due to liver issues.

2011 saw the singer become well-known thanks to her widely acclaimed album Loliwe in Africa.

Zahara shared her story of struggling with alcoholism in 2019.

The musician’s family asked South Africans to pray for her when they disclosed her hospital admission last month.

She was 36 years old when she died on Monday night in a Johannesburg hospital, according to the state-run SABC news website.

After her passing at the age of 36, followers have been mourning and reminiscing on social media; her family has not yet issued an official statement.