Brenda Nokuzola Fassie[2] (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004)[3] was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist.

Despite her outrageous and controversial stage presence,[5] her name, Nokuzola, means "quiet", "calm", or "peace".

Brenda Nokuzola Fassie was born in Langa, Cape Town on 3 November 1964,[6] the youngest of nine children.

Known best for her songs "Weekend Special" and "Too Late for Mama", Fassie was dubbed "The Madonna of the Townships" by Time magazine in 2001.

The press were initially told that she had suffered cardiac arrest, but later reported that she had slipped into a coma as a result of an asthma attack.

Her son Bongani "Bongz" Fassie performed "I'm So Sorry", a song dedicated to his mother, on the soundtrack to the 2005 Academy Award-winning movie Tsotsi.

In March 2006 a life-size bronze sculpture of Fassie by artist Angus Taylor was installed outside Bassline, a music venue in Johannesburg.