Actor Joe Mafela, 75 dies in car crash
“IT’S good, good, good, it’s good it’s nice,” was the jingle which cemented the late, legendary personality Joe Mafela’s name in households across the country.
The actor, also well known in the music world, became synonymous with these words as the face of fast food outlet Chicken Licken’s television commercials in the 1980s and 1990s.
But the renowned comedic giant is acclaimed for dominating almost every sphere of the entertainment industry with a career spanning decades.
This includes starring roles in local movies, soapies and shows Sgudi ‘Snaysi, Going Up and Madam and Eve.
But at the age of 75, Mafela’s life was cut short when he died in a car accident on a Joburg highway at the weekend.
Joburg metro police department spokeswoman Superintendent Edna Mamonyane said he was travelling alone at the time and was confirmed dead at the scene on Saturday night.
She said the accident happened around 9.45pm on the M1 between Houghton Drive and Oxford Road.
Mafela’s Ford Figo and an Isuzu bakkie collided. “The bakkie hit the left side of his Ford Figo then hit the barricade and damaged a rear tyre.”
She said when paramedics arrived, Mafela was unconscious. “They tried to revive him but he was declared dead at the scene.”
Mamonyane said the family travelling in the bakkie were not injured.
Mafela was also not found with any signs of injuries caused by the accident, but Mamonyane said the matter was under investigation.
Mafela’s death sent emotional shockwaves across the country and #RIPJoeMafela trended on Twitter for most of yesterday.
His nephew, Anthony Mafela, tweeted: “Sad News. My Uncle Joe Mafela passed on last night.”
President Jacob Zuma expressed sadness and extended his condolences. “We have learned with sadness of the passing of one of the pioneers of the television comedy loved by all South Africans young and old.
“Mr Mafela, affectionately known as Sdumo, was also a television producer and songwriter. The arts and culture industry has been robbed of a bigger-thanlife figure. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Mafela family and may his soul rest in peace,” Zuma said.
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa also conveyed his condolences, describing Mafela as a “great artist and a truly generous man” who made an invaluable contribution to the entertainment world.
“The nation has lost an extraordinary son of the soil. Joe Mafela is a household name to all of us as he spent decades on the big and small screens.”
Political parties, organisations and dignitaries yesterday also mourned his passing.
Although the Limpopo-born star was most recently known for his role as Tebogo Moroka in the popular local soapie Generations: The Legacy, his career spanned decades.
Mafela also dabbled in the music world and his popular hit Shebeleza was a theme song during the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament.
His numerous awards included a Loerie award, a Safta for best actor in a comedy, and an Emmy nomination.