#JoeMafelaFuneral closes curtain on an illustrious career

The funeral of Joe Mafela was attended by fellow “Generations: The Legacy “ colleagues, fans, family, a representative from the Royal Duthuni village in Tshivhase where he was born, and the media. Pictures: Bhekikhaya Mabaso

The funeral of Joe Mafela was attended by fellow “Generations: The Legacy “ colleagues, fans, family, a representative from the Royal Duthuni village in Tshivhase where he was born, and the media. Pictures: Bhekikhaya Mabaso

Published Mar 30, 2017

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A sombre mood engulfed University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus as friends, family and industry colleagues gathered to pay their last respects to Joe Mafela.

He was killed in a car accident at about 10pm on the M1 North between the Oxford and Houghton Road off-ramps in Joburg on March 18. He was 74.

In his tribute to Mafela on Wednesday, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said the actor demonstrated that black lives mattered through his craft.

“He demonstrated that black lives matter by asserting characters with powerful personalities, he fought a system that had sought to belittle and denigrate black lives,” Mthethwa said.

He said Mafela laid down the foundation for black actors to assert themselves and make a mark in the industry.

“He effected a quiet revolution because, for the first time, black characters were being depicted on their own terms and not through the eyes of others far away from their country,” he said.

“How hard it must have been when he started his artistic journey more than 50 years ago, when the impact of colonial segregation and and apartheid policies had led to the dispossession of the African majority.

“For him, art was an answer.”

Those who attended included fellow actors, politicians and prominent religious leaders.

Veteran actress Lillian Dube, singer Letta Mbuli and Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela were there.

Mafela was best known for his role as the unemployed lodger “S’dumo” in the isiZulu language comedy series Sgudi ’Snaysi, which ran for 78 episodes on the SABC.

Mafela’s sister, Annie Rambau, said the family had lost an irreplaceable pillar and a rock and he would be missed dearly.

“He was a loving and peaceful individual. He loved everyone in the family.

“He wouldn’t forget birthdays and would always make sure that he would come with a cake and a crate of cold drinks because we have a big family,” Rambau said.

She said Mafela’s death came at a time when he was preparing to unveil a major project in November.

“I know where he is hurting because he put a lot of work into that project and would have loved to see it come to life,” she said.

“His death shocked us and left us asking questions. The only person who can tell us what happened is the other driver.

“We wish he had been here to tell us his side of the story.”

Fellow cast member in Mafela’s famous comedy series, Thembi Mtshali, echoed Rambau’s sentiments and said she too found a strength in Mafela which made it difficult to speak of him in the past tense.

“He has been a pillar to me because we worked together in the 1980s on Sgudi Snaysi,” Mtshali said.

“Joe took me under his wing at a time when we didn’t know how successful it would be.

“He would pull me down when I became famous so that it didn’t go to my head.”

Mafela’s niece, Ophelia Mulelu, described him as a “brand” who couldn’t be emulated in what he was able to accomplish.

“My uncle was a brand.

“He was unique in a way that whatever he was, he could not be imitated, whatever he did for the family and industry he could not be imitated,” Mulelu said.

“He was quality because he could just say what he wanted to say without worrying about responses because he was honest, and people knew that.”

Mulelu said one of the best

characteristics possessed by Mafela was his ability to identify individuals’ attributes and praise them

accordingly.

Pretoria News

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