Condolences are flowing in following a fatal motor accident in Nelspruit (Mbombela) in which well-known music industry figures Mara van der Bergh and her long-time assistant, Samantha Fuller, have died. Country legend Tommy Dell, who was also in the vehicle, has been admitted to the high-care unit of a private hospital in Mbombela. His condition is described as critical.
According to Ignaz Streicher, a spokesperson for the family, Van der Bergh was a well-known figure in the South African music industry for more than three decades and worked with country legends including Lance James, Barbara Ray, Clive Bruce and Tommy Dell. He also said Dell's two daughters are at their father's bedside. The family has requested that further details about his condition be released only through an official statement.
Barbara Ray and Clive Bruce, who were on stage shortly after the accident with singer Nadine Burness, experienced the scale of the tragedy firsthand. Ray described the accident shortly thereafter as a huge tragedy. Van der Bergh's spouse and children have asked the media to respect their privacy during the grieving process. Funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced later. The family has thanked artists, friends, supporters and members of the public for the messages of condolence and support that have come in from South Africa and abroad.
A police investigation into the accident is under way, according to Streicher.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
