VETERAN actor Chris "Bra Spokes" April was laid to rest at Maitland Cemetery, Cape Town on Saturday, 13 April.
Bra Spokes (83), who was also known as Daddy by residents, was attacked by intruders on 6 February 2024 while asleep. He died on 31 March due to the injuries he suffered.
Resident Malibongwe Sopangosa (68), who was first to arrive at the scene, told mourners that the actor was half dressed when he entered the house.
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"A neighbour who lives opposite his house told me she heard some noise at the house, and she suspected something was going on. I went with her to his house and called out his name. He said he was going to open the door but took too long to open. I ended up opening the door as it was unlocked. I saw him sitting on the floor with blood and a swollen face," said Malibongwe.
He said they took Bra Spokes to the hospital, and he was talking though he was injured.
Malibongwe said Bra Spokes' death could have been avoided if the community played its role. He said at the last community meeting, Bra Spokes had spoken about the election of a new street committee as he felt the current one was no longer attending to community issues.
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Bra Spokes' nephew, Thabo April, said his uncle was a people's person and whenever he went out to the shops with him, they often took longer than usual.
"He would stop and speak to people at every corner and even when you are in a hurry you would end up giving in because you'd see that people love him and he couldn't ignore them," said Thabo.
Bra Spokes' niece, Priscilla April-Mahangu, said her uncle loved her and he was a father to them. She said before she left Cape Town in January, Bra Spokes visited her home to bid her farewell.
"He was a lovely uncle, a caring one. He was the only one left out of his four siblings, so he was the elder of the family, someone we could run to for advice. We have lost a pillar of our family," said Priscilla.
Actor Mlamli Mangcala, who was the guest speaker at the funeral, said Bra Spokes taught him and other actors valuable lessons in the industry.
"He was a humble person with all his experience and knowledge in the field. He was not full of himself. I started knowing him on sets. He taught us that as an actor, one must know things that one is good at. He would say look at your features and use them to your advantage,” said Mlamli.
He added that the veteran actor also taught him to always reach out to those considered not as important, such as extras during shoots.
