Afeni Shakur Cancels Trip to South Africa, Announces Stateside Tupac Tribute

Afeni Shakur has cancelled a scheduled trip to South Africa during which she planned to commemorate the 10th anniversary of her son's death by burying his ashes in the township of Soweto. Citing personal reasons, Afeni has rescheduled the trip for June 16, 2007, a date that coincides with both the slain rappers 36th birthday and the Soweto Riots of 1976, during which South African youths clashed with local authorities. In conjunction with the South African government, the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation intends to develop a memorial site in the Zola community of Soweto that will include orphanages, parks and a golf course.

Despite the trip’s cancellation, plans for a special memorial service to be held on Saturday (September 9) at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia are still under way. In a statement released by the Foundation, Afeni has requested that attendees of the ceremony bring a plant to be placed in the Center's Peace Garden in memory of lost loved ones and fallen heroes. The Center officially opened in June of 2005 and offers training and support in a broad range of areas including acting, poetry and spoken word, dance, and creative writing.