Emzini actors stay away from radio DJ actor Magubane's funeral

RADIO and television veteran Siyabonga Ngema’s son expressed disappointment that his late father’s co-stars in SABC1 sitcom Emzini Wezinsiwa did not attend his funeral at the weekend.
Speaking during his father’s funeral service at Ethekwini Community Church, Siyabonga said the family was very displeased by the absence of their fathers “brothers” from Room 8 of the men’s hostel comedy series.
He was referring to Emzini co-stars Jerry Phele who played Mofokeng, Vusi Thanda (Tshwane) and Jabulani Nkosi (Chirwali).
Ngema’s former co-stars also didn’t show up at the memorial service on Thursday.
Friends, fans and family however came in their numbers to bid farewell to ngema, 65, who died at Umlazi’s Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. The actor, who played a herbalist Magubane, suffered a heart attack.
“I was extremely displeased by my fathers’s colleagues,” Siyabonga said.
“He treated them as his brothers. My father advised us several times that he needed his Room 8 colleagues at his funeral. It was like he knew he would die before them,” he said. “There was no explanation from any of them.”
Daughter Nothando spoke of how her father praised his Emzini Colleagues.
“Wherever he is, he is as disappointed as we are,” she said.
KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC of health SIbongiseni Dhlomo also criticized the actors for failing to honour their colleague.
“What they did was completely not right. They had spent years acting together,” Dhlomo said.
When called by our reporters, Nkosi said he didn’t attend because he was busy with personal stuff.
Phele apologized for not showing up at both the memorial service and funeral, saying he had been admitted to hospital last week due to illness.
“We had no grudges. I am very sorry I couldn’t attend Magubane’s funeral,” said Phele.
“He was like a brother from another mother. We used to call each other every day.”
Thanda said he was busy with family matters. Ngema was buried in his home village of Ndwedwe on Saturday