Online Reporter
The indelible mark left by revered stage and screen actor Don Mlangeni Nawa on the South African entertainment industry will never be forgotten. The veteran actor was laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg on Saturday, following his death on April 16 after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 65.
At his funeral service held in Alberton, Nawa was remembered as a loving father and an inspiring mentor.
His daughter, Alwande Nawa, spoke through her pain, sharing how deeply she cherished the moments they spent together.
“I will always treasure the memories we created. He was an incredible mentor, a brilliant music mind, a true pool master, and above all, a loving father. It’s heart-breaking to see him lying in a casket, the reality is finally sinking in.”
At a memorial service held at the Soweto Theatre on Thursday afternoon, mourners and speakers paid tribute to his extraordinary legacy.
“The talent in this man was unexplainable,” said The Estate co-star Clementine Mosimane.
“Abuti Don was so disciplined. He embraced his talent with such honour and dedication. I started noticing he wasn’t well while we were filming The Estate around 2021 and 2022. I saw Abuti Don losing weight, I saw him battling illness, but believe me, he never let it affect his work. Even on his worst days, he never asked to go home.
“Instead, he would ask to take a nap, gather his strength, and get back to work. That was the Abuti Don I knew, that was his passion for his craft.”
In closing, Mosimane said: “We learnt so much from him. There will never be another Don Mlangeni Nawa. Never. We will miss his voice, we will miss his presence.”
Fellow Isidingo actor and now director Krijay Govender also praised the act’s talent, speaking about how much more Mlangeni Nawa’s career would have blossomed if he had gone international.
“His career would have surpassed any one of the big guys that you know. Denzel Washington could not even touch this man when the camera rolled. And I’m not saying this because I’m a friend of his, I’m speaking from the experience of being his director on set,” Govender said.
Govender went on to speak highly of how Mlangeni Nawa portrayed his long-time character on Isidingo, Bra Zeb Matabane.
Other speakers at Mlangeni Nawa’s memorial included his co-stars from various shows. Abomama actor Asavela Mngqithi battled tears as she spoke about their relationship, which also developed on the set of the show.
At the height of his career, Don Mlangeni Nawa, whose career spanned several decades, starred in multiple stage and screen productions including The Throne, Shaka iLembe, Savage Beauty and many more. — online
derick.khumalo