WATCH | Chris Q remembers 'gifted' 'Gomora' actor Siyabonga 'Sdumo' Zubane

Seasoned scriptwriter and director Chris Q Radebe says he was hit hard by the news of Siyabonga 'Sumo' Zubane's death. He described Siya, who starred in Gomora, as a naturally talented actor.

Siya was popularly known for his role on the telenovela as Sdumo. It was confirmed to TshisaLIVE that the 23-year-old died on Saturday.

“I met Siyabonga for the first time beginning of last month. He couldn’t look me in the eye, and I figured he was one of those actors who are scared of writers. My female colleagues swooned over him, even though they’re all over ten years older than him. 'He’s so charming,' one of them declared, with an embarrassed look on her face. 

“Everyone in the writing room adores this kid, and it’s not just because of his charisma. The boy is a natural actor. It’s not forced, it’s not rushed. It just is. He just is,” Chris Q wrote on his Instagram.

Fellow cast member and veteran actress Connie Chiume, who plays Sonto on Gomora, said she was devastated by the news

“We are so devastated on why do we keep losing our young kids, our future leaders, talented people like this. What's going on, especially in our industry? We don't know what to say, what to do, something needs to be done.”

Chris took to his Instagram to share a clip of Mzansi stars who have passed away recently.

He said the video was a painful reminder of the loss the industry has suffered.

“Sounds like a cliché, but let’s be kind to one another. You just never know what people are going through in their lives, what battles they are fighting. And even if they are genuinely happy, death is a thief and can sneak in when you least expect it. So, treat those you love like you’re seeing them for the last time, because, as morbid as that sounds, you just might be. Death be not proud,” he wrote.

The stars are from productions like Backstage, Isidingo: The Need , Generations, Rhythm City, Isibaya, The Queen, The River and most recently Gomora actor Siyabonga.