Late gospel superstar Sfiso Ncwane was due to perform in Zimbabwe this weekend and had asked a local designer to make him a unique outfit for when he lands in Harare on Friday 9 December.
He was scheduled to share the stage with Zim musician Tatenda Mahachi, whom he recorded the duet Ngiyamthanda uJesu with last year. They last performed together in Durban in May.
“We last spoke on Friday when he confirmed he was ready to come to Zimbabwe,” Tatenda says.
But it’s Zimbabwean fashion designer Thembani Mubochwa who is left with a piece of art the singer won’t ever get to wear. Almost a decade ago, Thembani also designed Sfiso’s wedding suit and his wife Ayanda’s wedding gown.
“He called asking me to make a suit for him because we have such a long history and he is someone who always liked to look stylish. When I heard that he had passed away, I was almost done with the suit,” Thembani says.
“If you knew Sfiso, you would know he always wanted to finish every phrase he uttered with a Nigerian accent, so he asked for the suit and a convoy he said was fit for an Igwe (a title of respect and honour for the Eze or king in some parts of Igboland, Nigeria),” he adds.
The fashion designer said he’ll hand the completed suit over to Sfiso’s family instead.
