She starred in one of Mzansi Magic’s favourite telenovelas The Queen.
She played the role of Tembisa's vibrant cop, Georgina Zulu, whose parents Patronella, played by Thembsie Matu, and Jabulani Mjekejeke, played by Sipho Manzini loved her to bits.
But it has been three months since actress and singer Sibu Jili left the show after being written off the script.
“Leaving was emotional, but Ferguson Films will always be family to me,” she tells Drum.
“I have been with The Queen for two years and I met friends on set who I will be close with for a long time. Working on The Queen also renewed my love for acting, Georgina was fun but she also challenged me,” Sibu says.
Read more l Wiseman Mncube is the new Mqhele on The Wife – ‘I’m not here to replace Bonko but to start my own journey’
The job on The Queen came at a tough time in Sibu’s life when she had been down and out. In a previous interview with Drum, Sibu opened up about the hardships she faced after the telenovela Isibaya was canned in 2019.
“When I got a job on The Queen, I was broke and unemployed. I also just got out of a relationship with a scammer which took time for me to get over,” she tells Drum.
But things started looking good when she landed the role of Georgina.
“I picked up my life again and things were looking good.”
During this time she met some and fell in love. “I met the father of my second child when I just got the job on The Queen. I had arrived in Johannesburg from Pietermaritzburg and living in a guesthouse for a few days," she says.
“It was all a fairy-tale. We met, fell in love and started dating, move in together, and had a child,” she says.
Two years into the relationship, she started seeing cracks.
“Issues started before the show ended. Things between me and my partner did not work out. But he is the father of my child and for my own sanity, I don’t wish to drag his name through the mud, but he let me down,” she says.
“I separated with my ex in April, I just could not take it anymore,” she says. “
"I learned that he had been dishonest about his life from the beginning. He lied about what he does for a living. He did not work, and he made up stories about his education,” she says.
“But worst of all, I was supporting him financially and he abused my kindness. He would take food from the house that belonged to my kids and feed his friends. He would use my card on a night out and I got bank notifications at 3am saying he had swiped at a bar. There were many other issues that I can’t disclose. But love was not enough for me to stay in the relationship. But yet he is the father of my child and that is where it ends,” she says.
“Right now, I am picking up the pieces and fixing my life again.”
Read more l ‘I wish Tebza was here to see how far we have come’ - Mafikizolo celebrates 25 years of music
Sibu has moved back home to Pietermaritzburg to clear her head. “Home is the best place to be when you’re dealing with issues,” she says.
“Home is where you feel loved, and you are not judged for mistakes, and you are always welcome.”
She couldn’t be happier to be getting a break from Johannesburg’s hustle and bustle.
“But I will be back soon. I have also gone back to counselling sessions, just to get my strength back. I have learned that I am stronger than I was before. I was able to walk out of a tough relationship, not have a job and still keep my head up high because I know I am talented,” she says.
Sibu is currently featured in Mzansi Magic’s film Stina. She played the role of Bridgette who has a fall out with one of her friends after finding out she cheated with her boyfriend.
“Bridgette's relationship with her man was on and off and her best friend Nonhle then moves in. She finds out that her best friend is pregnant by her boyfriend, and everything just turns upside down,” she says.
“It was a fun and light film to work on and I have other bigger projects on the way which I cannot disclose as yet. I have been going to auditions and right now, I am just enjoying being at home with family and not stressing about fame, and work."
