Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Albert Mazibuko passes away at 77
· The South African
Albert Mazibuko, one of the founding members of the renowned Ladysmith Black Mambazo, sadly passed away this morning (6 April) following a short illness.
ALBERT MAZIBUKO PASSES AWAY AFTER SHORT ILLNESS
The Ladysmith Black Mambazo announced the heartbreaking news on their Facebook page.
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They described him as “the wise elder to the younger members of the group” after their founder, Joseph Shabalala, retired in 2014.
“Dear Friends. It is with immense sadness that we tell you that our brother, Albert Mazibuko, has left us this Easter Sunday to be with his savior in heaven. Mdletshe Albert Mazibuko, or just “Albert” to anyone who ever met him, was the best of the best.“
“Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder, Joseph Shabalala, asked Albert to join his singing group in 1969, and for the next 55 years, that’s right, 55 years, Albert was a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.“
“He was Joseph’s right-hand man.” When Joseph retired in 2014, it was Albert who became the wise elder for the younger members of the group.“
He was described as kindhearted and passionate about educating others about the history of the group, which celebrated 65 years of music in 2025.
Additionally, he was the main interviewee for the media and was always open to discussing anything related to Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
“Albert was a saint. He was kind to a fault. He loved traveling the world, spreading the mission and music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.”
“Albert never tired of talking about the group’s history and its desire to spread “Peace, Love and Harmony” everywhere people had ears to listen.“
“Albert became the main interviewee for members of the press who wanted to speak with the group. He never said No to a chance to talk about Ladysmith Black Mambazo.“
ALBERT NO LONGER TOURED WITH THE GROUP SINCE 2025
In 2025, Albert did not join the Grammy award-winning group on tour due to his age. Xolani Majozi, the communications manager for the group, stated the following in an interview with The Citizen:
“Since late last year, Albert Mazibuko hasn’t been performing with the group in these types of shows because of his age. He’s 79 years old now, and these are 39 back-to-back shows,” said Xolani.
DR. SIPHO SITHOLE PAYS TRIBUTE TO ALBERT MAZIBUKO
Dr. Sipho Sithole, a music executive and isiZulu professor at Howard University in Washington, worked closely with Albert on his research for the biography of Joseph Shabalala.
He penned the following tribute to the deceased star on Instagram:
“The sudden passing away of Albert Mazibuko, one of the long-standing and surviving founders of the 5-time Grammy-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo, is a profound loss not only to South Africa but to the entire music world,” he wrote.
“For the past few years, Albert Mazibuko has been serving as my assistant research [researcher] and a vital source of knowledge during the writing of the biography of the late Joseph Shabalala,” he added.
“Together we have visited Durban, its surrounding townships and farms, Ladysmith, where both Joseph Shabalala and Albert Mazibuko grew up as farm workers and labour tenants,” he continued.
“His generosity, commitment, and friendship- shared through many days and nights at my home in Msinga and on the field during my research – will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, Mwelase,” he concluded.