Eight days after Sebogodi’s death, he was on Thursday remembered by industry colleagues as a creative, playwright, director, producer, musician and actor, as well as for his love for Orlando Pirates .
Artists filled the SA State Theatre auditorium in Pretoria for a public memorial service to honour the life of the veteran actor in what was a star-studded ceremony.
Legendary singer Vusi Mahlasela was among the top artists performing for Sebogodi’s family, friends and supporters, as well as for the tens of thousands who watched the live streaming of the show.
Many spoke about the cyberbullying he faced in his last days after a viral picture of him appearing to be frail circulated on social media.
His friend and fellow actor, Patrick Bokaba, who had known him since they were young, and veteran actor Jerry Phele, reflected on their last performance in Makhanda, in Black Moon, a play that was produced by Sebogodi.
The two actors had to perform the play for the last time in his absence. “He saw what was coming. The last Friday, a few days before he left, he called a virtual meeting on WhatsApp, and he started saying [strange] things... after a few days he died. He gave his last bow on stage,” said Bokaba.
“It was the three of us at [Makhanda National Arts Festival]. We held each other, and we bowed three times. The curtain call ... he knew what he was doing. I love you so much, my brother. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for holding me at the end and journeying with me. We will miss you, but we’ll preserve your legacy.”
Another veteran actor Sello Maake-KaNcube, who was one of the many, alongside Sebogodi, to work with the legendary playwright Gibson Kente, delivered a poem titled Siyazazi in his honour.
Actor Mpho Molepo recalled meeting Sebogodi for the first time in 1994, vowing to act on the same show together. Five years later, Sebogodi directed Molepo in a play alongside Hamilton Dlamini.
“I don’t believe that today we are speaking of Seputla in the past. It’s unbelievable. This is one man that I used to talk to almost every second day of my life. Seputla would call in the mornings.
“I’m going to miss him. It’s now going on for the second week, and I know this is one person that I spoke to all the time ... I spoke to him just before he left for Grahamstown. He said he was cancelling the trip, and I asked him what he was doing there.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, Thomani Makwarela set the record straight on speculation that there was an unidentified woman who wanted to bury him.
Makwarela said the send-off was being headed by Sebogodi’s children, as per his last wishes during a phone call they had when Sebogodi was travelling back from the arts festival.
“He said to me, ‘my brother, I’m going. I’m dying this time’. He said, ‘I can feel it in my body, and I want you to have a conversation with my children, one-by-one and tell them ... but only after I have passed on’.
“He said: ‘This is what I want to happen. I want my children to be the ones to bury me.’ That’s the reason all of them, from Thapelo the firstborn, to Thabang the lastborn, are busy working because they know it’s the instruction from their dad.” − TshisaLIVE
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