LEGENDARY musician Madala "Bafo" Kunene will be celebrated and honoured twice in one day on Thursday, 12 October.
Madala, who was honoured by UKZN with an honorary doctoral degree in music in May 2023, will be celebrated by Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa.
He will be celebrated and honoured during the sixth edition of the Van Toeka Af Living Legends Recognition Series, which is an initiative that recognises and acclaims South Africa's living legends in the creative and cultural sector.
The event will be held at Hillary Sport Ground in Durban before his honorary concert at The Playhouse in Durban, in the evening.
The Van Toeka AF Living Legends Recognition Series has honoured Dr Pitita Ntuli, Dr James Matthews, Dr Peter Magubane, Dr John Kani, and the late Dr Madosini Mpehleni.
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The 76-year-old legendary guitarist from KwaMashu, north of Durban, told Daily Sun he thought he wouldn't get recognition from the department.
"I was there at Mthatha when the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture honoured Madosini with the Van Toeka AF Living Legends Recognition Series in 2022.
"Minister Nathi Mthethwa told me that they will also honour me after they have honoured Dr Peter Magubane. But when Mthethwa left the department, I thought that would never happen," he said.
Madala said he was surprised when minister Kodwa told him that he'd be honored on Thursday.
"What makes me feel more honoured is that The Playhouse was also planning to honour me with a concert and not all my recognition will be happening on the same day.
"I think this is my year for recognition because I was recently honoured by UKZN with a doctoral degree in music," he said.
Madala said that he was hurt that the late Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker didn't get the recognition he deserved while he was still alive.
