Well-known Afrikaans singing star, Gé Korsten, reportedly committed suicide in his home in Wilderness near George on September 29. Foul play is not suspected but it is believed that he was suffering from cancer.

Gé Korsten’s singing career spans more than 40 years during which time he appeared in countless operas and concert performances and won major awards for his stage and television appearances. He had recorded 58 albums and was described as a pioneer of Afrikaans folk music. A former Cape Performing Arts Board director, Gé Korsten was a regular performer in operas in Durban in the days when operatic works were produced by what was then the Natal Performing Arts Council.