Award-winning actor and comedian Ebenhaezer Dibakwane was laid to rest in his hometown of Mbombela in Mpumalanga on Friday. A young man who trekked to Joburg to seek fame and fortune died in the city of gold after making a lasting impact in the entertainment industry. 

HE WAS PROUD OF HIS ORIGIN 

Mourners, including family and friends, heard stories of how great he was as an entertainer. Some spoke about how he represented his province so well that even the Mpumalanga Provincial Government officials attended his final send-off held at Church Unite. The Department of Sport, Culture, and Recreation representative spoke on behalf of the government at the funeral. The son of Paul and Lucy Dibakwane, Ebby, as he was known, was the last born from a family of five children. Despite facing the demons of depression in the months leading to his taking his own life, Ebby was fond of the Bible, as the mourners heard.

HE WAS GOD-FEARING.

A member of the Nelspruit Assemblies of God, Ebenhaezer took Bible classes and worked as a missionary for a year at Scripture Union in KwaZulu-Natal. Born to parents who were both teachers, the comedian was fond of reading and wanted to follow in their footsteps by registering at the University of Johannesburg for a teacher's diploma. But comedy came knocking, and he did not finish his studies. Ebenhaezer's life was cut short at the age of 31, after achieving what his peers would take a lifetime to achieve.  His brother Lesedi Dibakwane said: "Ebby had an incredible mind; he was a scholar from a young age and always curious about the world around him.'