The melodic voices of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church choir resonated through the clear blue sky above the Silicon Cemetery in Polokwane, Limpopo, as the casket carrying the body of celebrated South African actor Seputla Sebogodi was lowered into the dry earth.
To the mournful humming of the hymn Ha le mpotsa tshepo yaka, mourners stood solemnly with heads bowed, as just before the clock struck 13h30, the priest committed Sebogodi’s body to the earth with a spirited Northern Sotho rendition of Psalm 88.
Psalm 88 verse 2-6 reads: “May my prayer come before you, turn your ear to my cry. I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength. I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care…“
Sebogodi passed away on 15 July following an illness. His burial was marked by a deeply spiritual atmosphere, carried by the soaring voices of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church choir, whose hymns and humming wrapped the crowd in a blanket of reverence and sorrow. Their harmonies rose gently into the Limpopo sky, echoing the dignity and artistry that defined Sebogodi’s life.
Family, friends, fellow actors and admirers remembered him not only as a consummate performer whose presence lit up stage and screen, but also as a man of humility and warmth. His coffin, lowered into the red earth of Polokwane, symbolised the closing of a chapter in South African cultural life, yet the tributes spoke of a legacy that will endure.
Sebogodi’s journey from humble beginnings to national acclaim was celebrated as a story of resilience and talent at a funeral service which began early that morning at the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane.
As the choir’s voices faded and silence settled over the cemetery, the grief was tempered by gratitude — gratitude for a life that gave South Africa unforgettable characters, and for an artist whose spirit will continue to inspire long after his final curtain call.
Sebogodi was born in Lady Selborne, Pretoria, the birthplace of many renowned South African artists on 31 October 1962. The mourning of his passing was blemished by a public spat involving a dispute by his sister over disagreements over his place of burial.
Sebogodi is survived four children, sons Thapelo, Kgothatso, Sebogodi and daughter Thabang.
Sebogodi was a receipient of two trime winner of the SA Film and Television Awards. He appeared in renowned films, television soapies and theatre productions including The River, Generations, The Woman King, Bophelo ke Semphekgo, Hijack Stories, The Long Run, Mr Bones, Beat the Drum and Max and Mona among others.
He was also a recording artist who produced three gospel albums, Nkuke Morena, Re Tshwarele Melato and Buya.
Sebogodi’s emotional children, paid a heartfelt final tribute to their beloved father reading messages inscribed on the stylish tombstone unveiled near the gravesite after the burial. To the ululation of elders, a family member rendered an animated clan praise poem, sending regards and reverence to the ancestors, to report that, their son, Seputla, had finally gone home. – news@mukurukuru.co.za
Di a kwagala, le ge di sa lebogwe.