Grahamstown - The body of the world-renowned African traditional music and cabaret singer from Port Alfred, Vuyo Raymond Matinyana, 32, popularly known by his stage name, Miss Thandi, is feared to have been incinerated in a fiery plane crash in Nigeria.
Miss Thandi's body was being flown from Amsterdam to Port Alfred on a cargo plan which crashed in Nigeria on Tuesday morning with a crew of 11.
The international performer, who died of Hepatitis B on November 14, had lived and performed in Amsterdam for 12 years.
Friend Jan Blom, 38, who travelled from Amsterdam to Port Alfred to attend the funeral, said when he went with the family to collect the body at Port Elizabeth airport they had been told the terrible news.
Mr Blom said he was devastated.
He said that, although there had been no official confirmation, Miss Thandi's body was in "all likelihood" on the plane.
An unidentified South African crew member died and five Britons were injured when the Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed in south-eastern Nigeria, airline and British officials said yesterday. The MK Airlines plane was on its final approach to the city of Port Harcourt in good weather when the crash happened.