The death of veteran actor Menzi Ngubane still haunts his family and friends as they try to pick up the pieces.
Menzi died on March 13 2021 after suffering a stroke at his home. He was 56.
The family is expected to host an unveiling at the end of July which Menzi Ngubane's wife Sikelelwa Ngubane says she foresees will reopen old wounds in her grieving process.
“I'm not ready to let him go yet. It's been a year and a couple of months but I'm still not OK. I still want his smell. I'm not ready to unpack his clothes but I have to because of his unveiling at the end of July. The family has asked because it's time now.
“Even though I'm not ready, I'm working towards that. It's going to be difficult because every time I open the wardrobe, his side is still as it was, it's not touched.” she told TshisaLIVE.
Sikelelwa said the couple's children greatly miss their father.
“It's still difficult. I don't want to lie. Every morning I wake up in disbelief that he's really gone. It's unbelievable and still hurts as if it happened yesterday. At least I'm better now because I can speak about him without crying
“The kids are struggling, the younger one even lost weight. He doesn't have an appetite. It's bad but we're trying to cope as best as we can. The void he left won't close but I have to be strong for the kids.”
His daughter Siyasanga said she has not been able to watch her father on television since his passing. She said her mother's strength has made her grieving process easier.
“It's been tough but seeing my mom being so strong makes everything better. It has made our relationship more open. We talk more. We've always been close, but now we speak more.” says Siyasanga.
They've created a shrine in his honour, which sits proudly in their family home. They said it keeps his memory alive by constantly recalling the fond moments they shared as a family.
“Sundays were our downtime as a family. Now they are the worst. Sometimes we don't even cook. We remember him and the things he did in the house for us.”
Sikelelwa has been assisting with the completion of her husband's documentary, started before his death, and hopes they will be able to release it in time for his birthday on August 28.
“I'm dreading the time when we do the final mixing of the project. It's tough. He wanted to tell his story his own way but God had other plans.
“My husband was one in a million. He was the best in his craft. When you say Menzi Ngubane even a six-year-old knows him. I would like to keep his legacy going because he was one in a million, he was the best.
“A gem like that cannot be forgotten. In America they still speak about Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. So why can't we do the same in SA? We need to change the narrative.”
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