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

"We have been advised that there is nothing more that the doctors can do to reverse her condition," it said.

Fassie, 40, one of the country's most popular stars, suffered brain damage after a cardiac arrest last month.

President Thabo Mbeki and former leader Nelson Mandela are among the high profile figures to have visited Fassie at her hospital bedside.

"The family has decided to leave the matter in God's hands. We ask fellow South Africans to continue to pray for Brenda," the statement read.

'Pop queen'

Her family confirmed on Sunday that she had suffered brain damage following a cardio-respiratory arrest.

"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.

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 by critics numerous times, Fassie has a host of fans across Africa.

When she sang at a concert marking the handover of power from former President Nelson Mandela to Thabo Mbeki, the cheers for Fassie were reported to be the loudest.