WATCH | ‘We are shattered’ — Touching moments from Busi Lurayi’s funeral

Thespian Busisiwe Lurayi was given her final send-off at Redemption Church in Greenstone on Wednesday.

Family and friends shed tears as they shared special moments they had with the star who starred in City Ses’la, Ses' Top’la and How to Ruin Christmas, among others.

Actress Rami Chuene, who starred alongside Lurayi on two instalments of Netflix’s How To Ruin Christmas, was surrounded by the cast, who couldn’t hold back tears as Rami described how Busisiwe made them feel. 

She said they were shattered by her sudden passing, as the star always went out of her way to make them feel close.

“We are the cast of How to Ruin Christmas, and there so many things we could say. We don’t understand it, we can’t comprehend it, we can’t internalise it. We are shattered, our hearts are broken, and anything and everything that Busi was and is, we’ve all heard it. She made us all feel special.”

She quoted a Bible scripture that says “in all things give praise”, sayingshe gave praise to Busi’s life.

“Crazy, loud, alive, humongous, she was life itself, stubborn but talented, bighearted, centred. She would make us meditate in the morning while we were shooting How to Ruin Christmas season one because we were shooting during Covid-19 (pandemic) and we were all staying together. She’ll always say, ‘Come guys, you need to centre yourselves ... Can you feel that? Let’s hold hands. She was that person, she centred us, she made us laugh. Such a talent — master of accents and master of different genres, completely unforgettable.”

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“So we are just here as these people to just say thank you God for allowing us to get to experience the life Busi was, thank you to the Mokoenas and Lurayis for sharing your daughter with us. Thank you, Ayana, for sharing your mommy with us. We love you and appreciate you, we thank God for this gift, and we honour him. Busi did what she did, she came, she saw and conquered, and not only did she take the T-shirt but she took all of them and we get it,” said Rami.

Artistic director James Ngcobo, who has worked with Busi on numerous productions, said he would miss Busi, especially sending each other pictures while they were cooking.

“There’s so much one can say about Busi, she was like a muse for me. I had worked with actors before, but I had a thing with Busi that transcended acting for me. It meant when I was around her my vulnerability ... I could just allow it to be and be able to talk to her about things that not a lot of people were privy to. I’m a very private person, and as I said yesterday, I got gifted a sister in Busi who I just loved so much.”

James revealed she and Busi had been working on a play that was going to preview next year. 

“I had always felt a director in her and I wanted to get her to direct. Next year, I was gonna go with her to London to direct a play written by a Ghanaian called 2000 season.  Busi and a British actress were going to play in the production that I’ve been adapting for the past three years and as I sit with my colleagues here, she touched all of us and I had so much that I really wanted to do with her. She taught me humility.”