As thousands of Maskandi fans prepare to travel to KwaZulu-Natal for the final farewell to Scebi “Inkos’yamagcokama” Dlamini, grieving families are facing a second blow scammers allegedly trying to turn the musician’s death into an opportunity for fraud.
Dlamini, the 29-year-old Maskandi star, died in a road crash in Richards Bay on Sunday, 9 August, alongside his crew member Gumu “Gupta” Mchunu.
Five days later, the grief has grown into a massive mobilisation of fans travelling from across the country to KwaZulu-Natal for the funerals.
Mchunu is being laid to rest today, 14 Friday in eMsinga.
Dlamini will be buried at his homestead in KwaDunganamanzi, eMsinga Saturday, 15 August.
His funeral service is scheduled for 8am at Fabeni Stadium in eMsinga eMachunwini
Dlamini’s funeral is expected to draw large numbers of Maskandi fans and fellow musicians.
But as preparations intensify, reports have emerged of people allegedly impersonating Ukhozi FM and members of the families in an attempt to solicit money from unsuspecting supporters.
Families have warned that they did not initially appeal for financial assistance and that fraudulent donation posters have been circulating.
The alleged scams have added another layer of distress for families already dealing with the sudden loss of two men who were travelling together as part of Dlamini’s performance team.
Despite the scams, genuine support for the bereaved families has continued to grow.
Supporters have opened their wallets to assist Mchunu’s family with funeral expenses after an appeal for financial assistance. Donations have been coming in as the family prepares for his burial on Friday.
The response illustrates the powerful relationship between Maskandi musicians and their audiences, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and among fans who travel considerable distances to attend performances.
That support is now translating into a major movement of people towards eMsinga.
Taxi associations in Gauteng and the Free State have stepped in to help fans reach Dlamini’s funeral.
The family has thanked supporters, musicians, industry colleagues and members of the public for the overwhelming outpouring of condolences following the musician’s death.
Dlamini’s death has triggered an extraordinary response because of the stage of his career when he died.
The musician had built a significant following in a relatively short period and had continued releasing music and performing live.
His music catalogue includes songs such as Kungcono Ngife, Asenzele Bona, Ngixolele and Ifoni. His latest album, Ride Or Die, was released in December 2025.
Reports before his death also revealed that Dlamini was completing a double-storey home and preparing to marry his fiancée, Mbali Mthembu, plans that were abruptly cut short by the crash.
The mobilisation around Saturday’s funeral has extended well beyond Msinga.
For many fans, the journey is not simply about attending a funeral. It is a final opportunity to pay tribute to an artist whose music had become part of their lives.
The transport arrangements from Gauteng and the Free State demonstrate the scale of that response.
But the emergence of fraudulent donation appeals has also highlighted the risks created when public grief meets social media.
Supporters are being urged to verify any request for money through the family’s official communication channels before making payments.
For the Maskandi community, however, the two funerals represent something larger, a collective mourning for an artist and a member of his crew whose lives were cut short while travelling for music.
On Saturday morning, the spotlight will turn to KwaDunganamanzi, where Inkos’yamagcokama will begin his final journey.
