The South African entertainment industry is mourning the death of seasoned actor, Mpho Sebeng, 31, who died in a car accident in the North West during on Sunday, May 5.
Actress Thuso Mbedu, was amongst those who penned an emotion tributes to the “Ring of Lies” star this week.
She took to Instagram to write: “Having heard of Mpho’s passing, something in me short-circuited. What are the words that one is supposed to string together?”
“Even now I’m seeing the posts and the changed profile pics, but my brain is refusing to accept why it’s happening. When I force myself to connect the dots, it feels like my heart slows down and I have to remind myself to breathe.”
“The Woman King” actress added: “I want to find the right words, but my mind has blanked. We all know how hard he worked. We all know how determined he was in bettering himself as a person and in his craft. We all know that was always one of the best dressed in the room.”
She added that Sebeng was a constant source of support for his loved ones and that his “big heart that was overflowing with love.”
“I can hear the sound of his laughter. I can see the frown lines as he zoned in, concentrating. I can see the cheeky grin. I can hear his voice when he said ‘Thuwowo’. But I don’t know how to take all of that and make it make sense because there’s so much more to it and there is no way to put any of it into words.”
“I like to believe that he knew that I loved him because he was one of the (few) people I had the courage to tell. He made it safe to do so, I know that many will attest to this,” other parts of her post read.
Mbedu was joined by fellow actress Swankie Mafoko, who wrote on X: “God did a number here. My heart? Shattered. Robala ka kgotso abhuti waka. We laughed. We lived. We made art together and always gave glory to God. I love you a long time. #RIPMphoSebeng 🕊️💔.”
Nambitha Ben-Mazwi added on social media: “Rest in Peace my Twinnie. I will cherish all the good times and forever hear your voice when you call me “sis wam.”
“To the Sebeng family, friends, and colleagues alike, may God comfort us. Let’s all lean into each other in love and kindness. I hope to make you proud Mpho.“
Born in Soweto, Sebeng’s humble media beginnings ascended at the age of 12 when a family friend spotted him in a primary school play and encouraged him to pursue acting. His first television debut was on “Justice For All” as well as “Zero Tolerance,” which later went on to win multiple awards.
He also starred on “Bay of Plenty”, and e.tv's “Scandal,” but “Ring of Lies” was Sebeng’s first major lead role on prime time television.
His performance on the show earned him a nomination at the 2018 South African Film and Television Awards for “Best Male Actor” in a telenovela.
During his illustrious career, Sebeng shared the movie screen with Hollywood actors, Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard in “Winnie” while he also featuring in other films like “The Jakes are Missing”, where he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) in 2017.
His other prominent roles include starring on Netflix’s “Collision”, “The Brave Ones” and “Hush Money”.