Actor Joe Mafela honoured at emotional yet jubilant service
SOUTH African actors, musicians, artists, government officials and the public yesterday described legendary actor Joe Mafela as a humble, disciplined and down-to-earth person who brought smiles to many people’s faces during his career.
Mafela was honoured in an emotional yet jubilant memorial service at the Joburg Theatre following his death in a car crash in Johannesburg last weekend, at the age of 75.
Mafela’s brother, Paula, said the family was devastated by his death. “Joe was a loving person, a person you would never find angry at anyone at any given time. We always travelled together overseas and to our homeland in Venda, and he would never travel without me,” Paula said.
Mafela’s son, Jimmy, who played a drum in tribute to his father, said: “He was always putting people together and he was passionate about the arts in South Africa, especially black people. According to him, all you actors here were supposed to be in Broadway,” Jimmy said.
Born in Sibasa, Limpopo, and raised in Kliptown and Tshiawelo in Soweto, Mafela began his career in 1965 when he made his acting debut in the film Real News, where he played an editor.
In 1974 he starred in South Africa’s first black feature film, Udeliwe, which gained him a new following among movie-goers.
During the 1980s, his television career blossomed in the comedy series ’Sgudi ’Snaysi.
Mafela also became a creative director in the advertising industry and focused on producing. He became a coowner of Penguin Films and released highly successful music albums. He won numerous awards, including a Loerie, for his advertising work and won the best actor in comedy category at the South African Film and Television Awards (Safta). He also received an Emmy nomination.
In recent times he acted on Generations: The Legacy.
Actors with whom Mafela starred in ’Sgudi ’Snaysi, Thembi Mtshali-Jones and Mlangeni Nawa, were among those who came to pay their tributes to the celebrated actor.
Veteran actresses Abigail Kubeka and Mary Twala and poets Don Mattera and Wally Serote also attended the service.
Tony Kgoroge, an actor and the president of Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa, said Mafela did not escape exploitation in the film and broadcast industry, and urged the SABC to pay artists their due royalties.
Generations creator and producer, Mfundi Vundla, called on the SABC to rename Studio 5, where Generations is filmed, “Joe Mafela Studio”.
Mafela is survived by his wife, three sons, a daughter and six grandchildren.