Just over a week after Seputla Sebogodi’s passing, a public memorial was held at the SA State Theatre in Pretoria on Thursday, bringing together a wide circle of South African stars to celebrate the late veteran actor’s legacy in a packed, high-profile ceremony.
Among the performers was celebrated vocalist Vusi Mahlasela, who took to the stage for viewers inside the auditorium as well as thousands watching the memorial streamed across the country.
Sebogodi was remembered not only as an actor, but also for his work as a playwright, director, producer and musician, alongside his well-known affection for Orlando Pirates.
A number of speakers also referenced the cyberbullying Sebogodi endured during his final days, following the spread of a viral social media image that appeared to show him looking frail.
Final performances and tributes from fellow performers
- His friend and fellow actor Patrick Bokaba, who had known him since their youth, joined veteran performer Jerry Phele in reflecting on their last time sharing the stage together in a play titled Black Moon, staged in Grahamstown and produced by Sebogodi.
- Bokaba and Phele later performed the production for the final time without him, marking the end of their on-stage partnership.
- Bokaba recalled that Sebogodi seemed to sense what was coming, describing how, a few days before he died, Sebogodi had called a WhatsApp virtual meeting and began speaking in a way that made the moment feel significant.
- Bokaba added that Sebogodi gave his “last bow” on stage shortly before his death, and he shared that they had held each other and returned to the curtain call together, with Sebogodi aware of what he was doing.
“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 things. A full house in all those places, and after a few days he died. He gave his last bow on stage,” Bokaba said.
He also described the Grahamstown moment as something deeply personal: “It was the three of us at Grahamstown. 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.”
Veteran actor Sello Maake-KaNcube, who was among the earliest performers alongside Sebogodi to collaborate with the late playwright Gibson Kente, delivered a poem titled Siyazazi in his honour.
Actor Mpho Molepo shared that he first met Sebogodi in 1994 and had promised himself they would act together on the same show. Five years later, Molepo said Sebogodi directed him in a play that also featured Hamilton Dlamini.
Molepo said it still feels impossible to speak of Sebogodi in the past, adding that the actor used to contact him frequently, even calling in the mornings. He also recalled speaking to Sebogodi before he traveled to Grahamstown, when Sebogodi apparently considered canceling the trip and Molepo asked what he planned to do there.
Family addresses rumours and personal last wishes
Thomani Makwarela took the podium on behalf of the family to address speculation about an unnamed wife who allegedly wanted to bury Sebogodi.
Makwarela clarified that, following Sebogodi’s final wishes, the funeral arrangements were to be led by his children. He said the decision came from a phone call the family had with Sebogodi while he was traveling back from Grahamstown.
Makwarela recounted the late actor’s words: “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 continued: “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.”
Dr Xoli Norman then spoke about what he would remember Sebogodi for, before delivering a tribute through performance.
“He honoured women. He would not just date you, he would marry you. He was a musician of note. He could hear God in the upper registers of the song,” Norman said.
Memories from co-stars, plus calls to confront online cruelty
Actress Motshabi Tyelele—who played Sebogodi’s on-screen wife in the sitcom Suburban Bliss—told the audience about their time working together. She said she felt compelled to attend the memorial because she could not get to his Saturday funeral due to filming commitments.
Tyelele also addressed the cyberbullying Sebogodi faced before his death, saying her grief came with a broader question about society’s treatment of one another.
“My heart is bleeding. I really want to celebrate my brother, but I have to tell you I am deeply saddened by this. Moreso, the question for me is: as Seputla goes, as South Africans, where are we really? What do we stand for? What do we do to each other?” she said.
She added: “Because we are not well looked after, we are failing ourselves and failing our society. There are stories that we should tell. We need to be free, we need to be healthy. The basics of honouring who we are. Right now, where are the royalties for Suburban Bliss that could sustain our people? For me, this platform, I want to celebrate my brother, but challenge us as a society. Let us continue the fight until things get right for all the people. Things have to change.”
Actress Kamogelo Maree said the signs were already present, recalling Sebogodi’s last days and adding that she saw him as a father figure after meeting him in 2024.
“My dad left this world with a broken heart because of the things that were trending about him,” Maree said.
Actress Katlego Danke, who portrayed Sebogodi’s on-screen wife in Generations, shared that returning to the State Theatre brought back memories of when she and Sebogodi attended their first SA Film and Television Awards.
“I knew I had somebody who would always protect me no matter what, and he did so in my presence or in my absence. He believed in my talent even more than I did. He believed in my career. He believed in what I could do,” Danke said.
More services scheduled in Limpopo
Another memorial service for Sebogodi is scheduled for Friday at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane, Limpopo.
His funeral is set to take place on Saturday at the same venue, Jack Botes Hall.
