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“I love you, my friend. I am not okay. I will always carry you artistically. I will always carry you in my heart. I will keep the fire burning.”
These were the words shared by actor Warren Masemola, a close friend of celebrated actress Busisiwe Lurayi, at her memorial service, which was held at The Market Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Tuesday.
Lurayi passed away at her home on July 10 at the age of 36. She was found by her father at her home after friends could not get hold of her. The cause of the How To Ruin Christmas star’s death is not yet known.
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A sombre-looking Masemola could not hold back tears when he described the talent he struck with the award-winning actress, after meeting her on the set of SABC1 comedy show Ses’ Top La eight years ago.
“It was in 2014 when I met Busi. It was on the set of Ses’ Top La. She had been on the show before, when it was called City Ses’la. She ushered me into the show and showed me love. I have had a lot of love from colleagues but with Busi it was natural ... it was so beautiful to be naturally loved,” Masemola said.
The actor said he had grown close to the actress, and they were inseparable outside of work:
Masemola added that Lurayi had not been shy to express love to the people around her. “Busi was extravagant. I thought I was extravagant, and by extravagant I mean these are not enough flowers. Busi would always bring flowers when she went to visit colleagues. We did everything together. I bought Busi tampons and necklaces.
“I was so in love with her that, even after we wrapped up Ses’ Top La, we told Mandla N to give the show to us and we would run it like Will & Grace because we were that passionate. We would always shout at everyone else for not bringing their A-game because the A-game is all we knew,” he said.
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Lurayi had her big break in mainstream television through her portrayal of Phumzile on the SABC1 comedy in 2006.
Fellow actress Nkuli Sibeko described their 18-year relationship as full of love:
Sibeko added that: “Busi was loved by many people and those of us she chose to love back, we got so lucky. We got so much from her. I am going to miss laughing with you and I am going to miss arguing with you.”
Lurayi was a mother to a seven-year-old daughter, Ayana. Lurayi’s aunt Sonti Lurayi said:
Lurayi’s cousin, Faith, said that, from an early age, the actress had always shown signs of being different; she had had a big heart and celebrated life.
“Busi was my first best friend and I was hers too. When she was born, I was just two and a half years old. We lived at our grandmother’s, with both our mothers. We were raised like sisters. Busi was outspoken from when we were very young.
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“Her favourite pastime was to impersonate people in person or on television ... Busi was always funny. She was always animated and had a very active imagination. I remember this one time she was convinced that Mandela had called her dad at home. I think her dad had pranked her and I asked her what Mandela said and she would impersonate him. That also speaks loudly of the relationship she had with her dad. She was a daddy’s girl.”
Actress Thuli Thabethe said:
The actress will be buried on Wednesday. The funeral service will start at 8am at the Redemption Church in Greenstone, Johannesburg.
