- Upcoming Gomora actor Siyabonga Zubane died at his Soweto home on Saturday.
- He made his debut on TV screens on Isibaya in 2017.
- A cause of death has not yet been revealed as the family is awaiting the postmortem results.
"Die with memories, not dreams."
This was the philosophy of Gomora actor Siyabonga Zubane shared in a social media post in November 2021.
In another post, Zubane vowed to achieve his dreams.
"Ngizowa fez alamo phupho [I am going to achieve my dreams]," he captioned the post.
The actor, theatre practitioner, musician, and influencer died at his Soweto home on Saturday.
Drum reported that he was found in bed and taken to the hospital. While a cause of death has not been revealed yet his aunt told the publication that "we don't really know if it was suicide, but there are no signs."
She said they were waiting for postmortem results.
Social media has since been flooded with posts paying tribute to the actor and people expressing shock at the 23-year-old's sudden death.
READ MORE | Gomora castmates pay tribute to Siyabonga Zubane
At the time of his death he played the role of criminal and car hijacker Sdumo in the telenovela.
In a recent appearance in the show he tells criminal kingpin Mam’ Sonto (played by Connie Chiume) that her on-screen daughter (played by Katlego Danke) was behind recent looting incidents at all the taverns in Alexander township, where the telenovela is based.
WATCH IT HERE:
This was his second role in a Mzansi Magic telenovela. He made his small screen debut as Bhungezi on the now-defunct telenovela Isibaya.
In a social media post on Sunday, Gomora executive producer Lungelwa Hela said she was having a tough time processing the loss.
"Immensely gifted. He took a role that was meant to only be in story for a few calls, and he made it into a solid 2 years worth of work, and still counting. His approach to work was with a child like wonder. He was always excited. Always couldn’t wait to perform. Always gave his best, and it showed," she wrote.
She added that she would miss his laughter and him trying to hustle her for more storylines.
"Thank you for lending us your incredible gift, for a time. Rest now, Young King," she ended the post.
SEE THE FULL POST HERE:
If you or someone you know needs help, The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can be reached at: 0800 21 22 23 or 0800 456 789 (24 hours, 7 days a week).