On Tuesday, family and friends of Busisiwe Mokoena Lurayi gathered at the Market Theatre to celebrate the life and times of the late actress.
The venue was fitting as it was on this stage where she performed on numerous times. The stage was beautifully decorated with pictures of her.
Her relationship with the Market Theatre began in 2005 and, since then, she graced their stage several times having featured in productions such as Nina Simone’s “Four Women”, “Paradise Blue” and “Frontiers”.
Proceedings were handled by broadcaster Penny Lebayane, who kicked the proceedings off with a prayer.
Award-winning musician Simphiwe Dana performed a rendition of her song “Inkwenkwezi”. The audience was emotional as each speaker took to the stage to share their fond memories of Lurayi.
Remembering the iconic and gifted Busi Lurayi #RIPBusiLurayi pic.twitter.com/slKZSpVhVa
— Actor Spaces (@actorspaces) July 19, 2022
Her aunt Sonti Lurayi gave a glimpse of who the well-known actress was at home away from the public eye. She shared her fond memories of enjoying her niece’s signature dishes and her comedic nature.
“She was our resident chef during the lockdown ... oh my word, I gained weight,” she shared.
Head of SABC channels David Makubyane commented on her remarkable work ethic as he paid his condolences to her family.
“This is a situation of gone too soon because Busi was still young, and she still had a lot of talent. But in the short life that she lived, she made sure that she lived abundantly. Remember her for all the work that she has done. Busi is a legend,” Makubyane said.
Clips of Lurayi in some of the previous productions were played throughout the memorial service.
She featured in several notable local productions including “Generations”, “Home Affairs”, “Sokhulu & Partners”, “Intersexions” and “Wild at Heart”.
Her former SABC1 comedy show “Ses’Top La” co-star Warren Masemola, who was visibly emotional, remarked about how difficult it is to say goodbye to his friend, who he met in 2014.
Lurayi played the role of Phumzile on the popular SABC sitcom “City Ses'la”, and its spin-off series “Ses'Top La”.
Masemola said: “I don’t want to lie, I am not okay. I still cannot believe that my friend is not here anymore. I worked with her for four seasons of the show and our lives continued even off set.
“We did everything together, she would send me to buy her tampons. We would shout at everyone who was not bringing their A-game on set. Working with Busi was everything, it was magical. She held my hand through it all.”
Dr Tumi also performed during the memorial as a montage of Lurayi’s moments with her daughter Ayana was played. Her love for her daughter was something most of the speakers touched on.
Her father Freddie Mokoena shared the families were “hurting” following her untimely passing.
In an official statement issued by Khethi Ngwenya and Tebogo Makola on Monday, the Lurayi family confirmed that the 37-year-old actress’s body was “found by her father, Freddie Mokoena, in her daughter’s bedroom.”