Family heartbroken at actor Menzi Ngubane's death

Well-known actor Menzi Ngubane, 56, has died.

A family member, who did not want to be named, confirmed his death to TshisaLIVE on Saturday. He said the family was in shock and would release a statement on Sunday.

Details around the death are unknown.

A social media account bearing Ngubane's name also shared his picture and a brief caption that read, “A giant has fallen”.

The family member said the social media notification was posted on the instruction of Ngubane's wife, Sikelelwa.

Ngubane won over South African audiences in a career spanning several decades, starring in film and TV productions including popular SABC1 soapie Generations as Sbusiso Dhlomo, and most recently as Judas in Isibaya.

South Africans were looking forward to seeing Ngubane join the fifth season of The Queen in 2020 but were disappointed when it was announced that he fell ill.

His health scare saw an outpouring of well-wishes under the hashtag #PrayForMenziNgubane. However, Menzi's wife and family at the time issued a statement lambasting “inaccurate and unverified news” that claimed the actor was critically ill.

In 2012 he was rushed to hospital with organ failure. Menzi's health again made headlines when the actor suffered kidney failure and subsequently underwent a transplant in 2014.

Tributes for the veteran actor have since flooded social media platforms: