Popular comedian Mmboniseni Mudau, better known as Tshigo the Comedian, was buried at Folovhodwe Tshipale Cemetery on Saturday (15th). He passed away at Helen Joseph Hospital on the morning of 11 July after a long but unspecified illness. He was only 30 years old.
The celebrated and much-loved comedian initially gained popularity by telling Tshivenda jokes in a deep Zimbabwean accent.
His sister, Ms. Ronewa Mudau, said his death had left an irreplaceable void in the family. "To his fans, he was only a comedian, but to us, he was everything. My brother had been sick for some time, but we had hoped he would get better and pull through. Tshigo was a very humorous person. During family meetings, he would raise strong points but always in a joking manner. He was someone very close to me, and he will be sorely missed," she said.
Following the confirmation of his death, tributes began pouring in from relatives, friends, and fans. One of the first to send their condolences was his good friend, radio personality, and fellow comedian Rudzani Khalushi, known as "Bravo 1020" in entertainment circles. "My heart is torn apart. Tshigo was more than a friend and colleague to me. We had a strong bond that kept us together all these years. It was around 2018 when I first spotted his immense talent, which was not being recognised, and went looking for him. I helped promote him on different social-media platforms. He became so popular that when he went on his own, he grew from a few thousand to more than 40,000 followers," he said.
Another friend who worked with him is comedian Livhuwani Madadzhe, better known as SABC Livhu, who described his death as "a sad loss to the entertainment industry".
Musina Mayor Godfrey Mawela also extended his condolences to the family, stating that Tshigo's death was not only a loss to the family and entertainment industry but to the entire Musina community.
A night vigil was held in his remembrance at Folovhodwe Tshipale on Friday, 14 July.