They spoke in hushed tones about the tortured life of the talented Market Theatre technician Sibusiso Ndumndum during the memorial service
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
I know that you may not know Sibusiso Ndundumn. That is not a problem because many others probably are in the same boat as you are. However, the reality is your paths are likely to have crossed, in all probabilty, unacknowledged, especially if you have been associated with theatre for the past two decades in South Africa, particularly at the Market Theatre in Newtown.
Well, Sibusiso ‘Ta Sbudah’ Ndumndum as his friends and associate called him, was no small man. He was an all-rounder technical expert, handling several duties at the Newtown based iconic theatre, Market Theatre. He was at home as a lighting technician as he was handing the stage and sound of several productions that you may have seen and even enjoyed the magic that Sbudah assisted to create by playing these essential roles.
And just to drive the point that he was huge in theatre in sharp contrast to his demeanour as a shy, humble and quiet professional that you would pass as an ordinary general labourer at the Newtown cultural precinct, and not this giant of a technician, something extraordinary happened on Tuesday, July 23, 2025, at the Market Theatre. That reality hit home when the programme directors during his memorial services casually asked that those who worked with him should stand up. Three quarters of the full John Kani Theatre stood up.
These are the professionals the late technician assisted in running the technical side of their shows. His death happened when incidentally two months ago when against the advice of top management at the institution, he resigned at the institution that shaped him and built him as a much-respected technician, a graduate of the Market Theatre Lab. He had until two months ago, worked at the Market Theatre Foundation since 1999. Till two months ago, he was heading the Market Theatre Lab’s technical side, including doing lighting for shows at the Ramalao Makhene Theatre, attached to the Lab.
And so, his resignation two months ago, was met with shock by his colleagues, and his behaviour, both socially and professionally, mourners were told, did not fit the Sbudah they have known for years. In short, he showed signs of a troubled personality. This was something new, unusual, and quite frankly, perplexing coming from him.
Listening to speaker after speaker, it was therefore clear that the technician appeared to be dealing with a tortured life, that nobody could not put their finger on.
His death after a short illness on July 15, 2025, has therefore left a pained theatre community, who came in big numbers to mourn him, as well as per South African style, celebrate his excellence in his work.
During the memorial service poetry from the heart was recited, a vid portrait of a troubled technician was painted, pain exuded the theatre, some confessed that they ignored the signs to intervene and save the beloved technician from whatever at his soul.
People however spoke in hushed tones when the issue of what destroyed this promising technician became to obvious to ignore. But nobody spoke, not in tongues but in a straight-forward manner, even as it became obvious that they knew more than a lot of us who gathered in the theatre to both celebrate and mourn. However those who loved him must have decide that let the dead sleep and have peace now that they cannot reverse the tragedy that has befallen the talented beloved technician.