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‘We want to bury my brother in peace’: Musa Manzini’s family fight over his burial
Following Musa Manzini’s passing, his eldest son and first wife are flying to Joburg to apply for an urgent court application to prevent the funeral from happening in KZN.
A phot of Musa Manzini with his bass. His ex-wife and eldest son are trying to prevent him from being buried with his mother in KZN. Picture: Musa Manzini/Instagram
After The Citizen reported that Musa Manzini’s family had launched a fundraiser for his burial, his first wife Shaheeda January-Manzini and eldest son Yusuf Manzini are flying to Joburg to apply for an urgent court order to prevent the funeral from taking place in KZN.
The pair would like the jazz musician to be laid to rest in Cape Town according to his Muslim rites. But Thembi Manzini, the musician’s eldest sister, says the first wife hasn’t been active in Manzini’s life since they divorced 22 years ago.
“It’s sad that I’m mourning my brother and I have to deal with all of this,” Thembi told The Citizen.
Manzini died at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg on Monday. The Citizen spoke to Manzini’s manager Mark Roth who confirmed the fundraiser.
Drama over Manzini
“Palesa is not a wife. Musa’s Muslim family is down here in Cape Town,” January-Manzini, who is Manzini’s first wife, told The Citizen.
Manzini has two kids with January, Yusuf and Fatima.
January and her kids are infuriated by the requests for the burial money for the musician’s funeral. “My son only found out on Facebook that his father has died, they refused to tell me anything,” said January-Manzini.
The muso’s sister, however, disputes the claims made by January and his eldest son that Manzini died a Muslim.
“Musa was a Muslim and then converted from Islam. Musa hasn’t been to a mosque in many years,” Thembi told The Citizen. “Musa is our last born here at home. Yes, we are from Cape Town but Ma passed away in KZN and was buried there. Musa wanted to be buried there with Ma. I have to respect his wishes.”
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Unfounded claims
The former wife of Manzini also told The Citizen that she has been in contact with Manzini’s elder sister in KZN since the news of his passing broke. “I’ve been in contact with her and she’s always played the mother-figure since Musa’s mom passed away.”
But Thembi vehemently disagrees with this. “They don’t respect our family. I don’t even think Shaheeda even has my number.”
Speaking to The Citizen as they prepare for their flight to Joburg this evening, 25-year-old Yusuf said he’s disturbed by the news of his father’s passing and now news of a fundraiser in his name.
“It’s been off-putting reading all these statements about my father,” said the bassist’s eldest son. “I last spoke to him two years ago when he came out of hospital. I knew his health wasn’t good. He would complain about headaches and pain.”
“[As a] Muslim, everyone gets informed when you’re not well or on your deathbed so that they can bid you well. My father had been practising Islam for years now,” said Yusuf.
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“There are no monies. Maybe they think Musa has money. We did things for him,” Thembi says.
She goes on to explain how in the last few years, she and Manzini’s partner Palesa Mazamisa had been the ones assisting the muso because he was unable to take of himself financially.
“Musa took his kids to school. Yusuf went to some of the most expensive schools and graduated. When Musa called Shaheeda to know what’s happening with the kids, she only wished Musa bad.”
This is a developing story.
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