Fassie has been described as the wild child of South African music

Fassie, 40, one of the country's most popular stars, was taken to hospital in Johannesburg a week ago after suffering heart failure.

"Brenda Fassie's vital signs of life to date are stable and she is not brain-dead," her record company said.

President Thabo Mbeki is among those to have visited Fassie in hospital.

"He kept talking to her saying 'Brenda we need you, please be strong and fight, we don't want to lose you'," presidential spokesman Smuts Ngonyama told Reuters news agency.

'Pop queen'

Her condition has been front-page news in South Africa's newspapers.

"Nation prays for SA Queen of Pop" was the Monday's headline in the Johannesburg's Citizen newspaper.

The mass circulation Sowetan told readers "Brenda is hanging in."

One newspaper reported Ms Fassie had been put on a life-support machine and claimed that her family had been advised to switch it off.

Her family have now confirmed that she has suffered brain damage following a cardio-respiratory arrest, but is still alive and further tests are being carried out.

"Brenda has a history of surviving. She's a fighter, and one hopes and prays that she pulls through this," Fassie family spokesman Leslie Sedibe told SAfm.

Loyal fans

Known as "the girl with the golden voice," Brenda Fassie shot to fame in the early 1980s with the hit Weekend Special.

But she is as famous for her wild lifestyle as her singing talents. She has fought a long battle with drugs and had a series of public tantrums.

Despite being written off my critics numerous times, Fassie has a host of fans across southern Africa.