'She has joined her sweetheart': Marah Louw pays tribute to Mary Twala

Marah Louw has joined the flood of tributes pouring in for veteran actress Mary Twala, who died on Saturday at Netcare Park Lane Hospital in Johannesburg.

Mary's son Somizi confirmed the star's death, declaring: “The tree has fallen, I'm shattered to the core.”

Marah was shocked by the news of Mary's death and told TshisaLIVE she is going to miss her laughter the most. She described her friend as a bundle of joy to be around with.

“I had the opportunity to work for a longer period with her when we were doing Lillian Dube’s show called Skwizas. It was crazy there. It didn’t feel like we were working, we would constantly laugh whenever we were shooting.

“I never saw her angry. We used to crack jokes and make fun of each other but she would never take the jokes to heart. She had so many funny things to say and I’m also going to miss her professionalism”.

The singer admitted that as actresses aged they sometimes forget their lines, but Mary would say whatever came to mind and it would gel nicely with the story.

“Whatever she comes up with would be funny. And she was very professional. She could have run an acting school [to] teach the younger generation. I wish we had an opportunity to do that and have an academy. She left a hell of a legacy and I hope the younger generation will pick up on it and emulate her.”

Marah took us down memory lane to the time she first met Mary in 1969, when the pair were in the musical Skhali.

“It was joy to working with her and her husband Ndaba Mhlongo. She has joined her sweetheart. We are going to miss her but it’s God's will, she has run a good race. She has never disappointed or been an embarrassment to the nation. She is my super star.”

She recalled the time she told Mary that her late best friend Miriam Makeba jokingly warned her not to get married to an older man, questioning how she was going to charge her “new battery with an old battery”.

“I told the joke to Mary and Lillian. Little did I know that Mary memorised the story. One day, out of the blue, we were shooting. The late David Phetoe was my boyfriend on the set. He arrive at the house of Skwizas to check up on me.

“When he walked in, he said, 'I‘m here to see Jemima.' Mary was also part of the show and she asked, 'Is this your boyfriend? Is this the man that you met and told us about? How are you going to charge your new battery with an old battery?'”

Marah said everyone on the set was in stitches, including David, causing them to forgot their lines.

“She made a huge impact because she has been in the industry for a long time. She didn’t behave like a diva or superstar. He was very simple and humble, and she never made people feel small when she walks in.

“She carried a lot of dignity, without having to display who she is. I have learnt a lot being around her. She shared her wisdom with me and I will forever be grateful.”