Bulelwa Hoala

South African singer Lira, real name Lerato Molapo, has taken to social media to honour her late mother by dedicating a poem on what would be her 69th birthday.
Lira’s mother, Buyi Radebe Lichaba, passed away on Wednesday, 20 November 2024 at the age of 68, less than two years after surviving cancer.
“Today was bitter sweet for me. Today my Mom’s 69th birthday. I miss her so much I don’t know what to say. But the poem on the second frame sums it so perfectly- the words she would say.
“Happy birthday Buyi. I love you. See you on the other side,” Lira wrote on Instagram.
Lira previously shared that her mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer eight months after Lira herself suffered a stroke in Frankfurt, Germany in 2022.
The stroke affected Lira’s ability to speak, read and write.
She has openly shared her healing journey and said she believes that her stroke was a blessing that gave her a second chance at life.
Meanwhile, Lira has been announced as part of this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival lineup.
The singer will take to the stage with a live performance on Saturday, 26 April 2025.
She joins DJ Black Coffee, Nduduzo Makhathini, American singer Ari Lennox, Nomfundo Xaluva, Thandiswa Mazwai, Thembi Mtshali, and more in the lineup.
The 22nd Cape Town International Jazz Festival will take place on Friday, 25 April and Saturday, 26 April 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town.
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