TALENTED musician Lettie "Nopinki" Masombuka could have been poised to celebrate had she been alive.
This because her second album, Ye Mbulali, which was released shortly before she died, has been nominated for an award at the South African Traditional Music Awards (Satma) ceremony taking place in Durban tomorrow.
Last year the popular Ndebele musician was critically wounded and later died. She was attacked with her twins, one of whom was also killed in a family tragedy that rocked Mpumalanga. The surviving twin is now aged three.
Nopinki's husband, John Masombuka, was arrested and faced charges of murder in connection with the double death in the KwaMhlanga regional court in Mpumalanga.
In a new twist, Masombuka was on Monday cleared of all charges due to a lack of evidence leaving the community seething with anger.
One of those angry with the justice system is Nopinki's equally talented and famous guitarist and fellow Ndebele musician, Nothembi Mkhwebane.
Mkhwebane, who produced Nopinki's album, said she was happy about the nomination, but was angry at the justice system for having let Nopinki's alleged killer go free.
Mkhwebane said: "We are very sad about the acquittal. This was a case that touched everyone in the country because of the scale of brutality she and her children were exposed to during that unfortunate incident. Nopinki - whom I had nurtured - had a promising future."