Family, industry friends, and fans bid farewell to comedian Ebenhaezer Dibakwane in Mbombela, Mpumalanga on Friday, 14 March.
The late comedian, who was better known as Ebby, passed away on Friday, 7 March, at the age of 31. He was laid to rest at the Rocky’s Drift cemetery near White River.
Speaker after speaker described him as an intelligent, selfless, and talented young man.
His brother Lesedi Dibakwane shared moments from their upbringing. He told mourners that Ebby had always treated them with the utmost respect.
“Ebby was a special kid from an early age. His intelligence—genius, in fact—started to show young. He was a brilliant storyteller.
“He was always trying to find a smart way out. He had an incredible mind and was always curious about the world,” he said.
He noted how incredible it was to see him grow in the tough Joburg comedic scene.
“When he received his Comic Choice award, it felt like a fulfillment of talent we always knew was immense. Ebby became bigger than anything you can imagine.
“He pursued so many artistic endeavours and was a great actor. As great as he was, he was an even better theatre actor,” he said.
His friend Siyabonga “Stig” Sesanti said that Ebby struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide for a long time.
“I was the first one to arrive at his house, and we couldn’t find a suicide note. After looking for it, we realized he needed no note because he had been telling us for years—on stage, in person, and in his music,” he said.
Siyabonga further advised other artists to speak out and seek help.
His parents, Paul and Lucy Dibakwane, paid tribute to their son. In a letter read by a relative, they said when Ebby told them he wanted to quit his teaching studies, they supported his decision.
“That’s why we released him to follow his career and his dream. If Ebby was alive, we would say to him, little did we know he would leave us soon and unexpectedly.
“The short time with us will live in our hearts, and memories of joy and laughter will daily accompany our remembrance of you,” reads the letter.
