Celebrated TV and radio personality Pearl Shongwe was given a fitting farewell at her funeral service at the Diepkloof Comprehensive Welfare Centre in Diepkloof, Soweto, yesterday.
Radio hosts Wilson B Nkosi and Thami Ngubeni directed the service during which the late Daily Thetha host and Metro FM news reader was hailed as a beacon of hope for youngsters in the country.
Shongwe died last week at her apartment in Waterfall, Midrand. She was 35.
Glowing tributes were the order of the day during the moving service.
Metro FM programme manager Siyanda Fikelephi said it had been a rough 10 days since the news of the passing of Shongwe.
“Pearl was such a workaholic and a go-getter. She spoke things into existence and she would come to me and say she needed to do things in life. Her presence demonstrated who she was in this world.”
Daily Thetha executive producer Thabo Mphelo said it was hard to believe that Pearl is no more.
“We have lost one of our own and since her passing, it’s been very hard as we are broken.
We were never ready for this,” Mphelo said. “When I looked back few weeks ago when we were all excited about the new season of Daily Thetha, she encouraged us to be resilient. We have always looked at her career from far, and I remember telling the commissioning editor that we needed to work with Pearl. She brought inspiration and courage to everyone.”
Shongwe’s colleague Moeti “Mo Flava” Tsiki said everyone was grieving with the Shongwe and Nene families.
“Our relationship span way back while we were at YFM, and she did a lot for my career. She was a star due to her influence and bringing shine to my life,” Tsiki said. “Her ability to make people believe that they could make it, it was in her persona. She was a bubbly person, and she would always encourage people to do good things.”
Shongwe, a staunch member of Zion Church, was given a send-off fitting of a star that she was with songs and dances by members of her church in their green and blue uniform.
The hearse carrying Shongwe to her final resting place at Nasrec Memorial Park was escorted by bikers. Among well-known celebrities at the funeral were TV star Mzwandile Ngubeni, Kings of the Weekends DJs Sphe and Naives and Daily Thetha staff, including Rasta.
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