by Thinus Ferreira
Ceagan Arendse (34) known for his portrayal of the character Woelag in the Afrikaans soap Arendsvlei has died from suicide after he lost his battle against depression.
The actor from Paarl died this weekend. According to TV industry insiders who spoke to TVwithThinus, Ceagan Arendse took his life in a nearby Goodwood park where he hanged himself at a tree, following braai with family and
friends.
Besides his role in Arendsvlei produced for kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) by Penguin Films, he also appeared in kykNET's Suidooster as Frankie and Projek Dina as Theo, as well as SABC2's miniseries Riemvasmaak in 2008 as the character of Willie Hendriks.
He was also recently a prison guard in the British series Bulletproof seen on Universal TV (DStv 117) when it filmed a new season in Cape Town.
He's also set to appear in the new 13-episode Showmax Original series, Skemerdans in the role of Warren, the black sheep of the family.
Suzaan Keyter, kykNET spokesperson, described Ceagan's passing as "an enormous shock" to the kykNET family.
According to kykNET "we received the bad news this weekend that actor Ceagan Arendse has passed away. He was a beloved actor who appeared in several series like Arendsvlei, Suidooster and Projek Dina. We're thinking of his loved ones and family".
Roberta Durrant from Penguin Films says "Penguin Films and the Arendsvlei family are devastated to hear about Ceagan's passing. It was always a pleasure working with him on various productions. He will be remembered as a kind, hardworking artist. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time".
The family
in a statement confirmed that Ceagan Arendse died from a suicide.
In the statement, the family says that "It is with sad and heavy hearts we inform friends and fans that our beloved Ceagan Arendse passed away early hours of Sunday morning, 14 February 2021. Ceagan unfortunately lost his battle with depression and succumbed to the disease through suicide".
"He leaves
behind his wife Ziggy Arendse, children, his parents Desmore and Bertram and
Bevan Arendse, his brother. We wish to take this time to thank everyone for
their condolences and although we are unable to respond to everyone at this
time, we appreciate the well-wishes."
■ If you or someone you know needs help with suicide, anxiety or depression, call the South African Depression and Anxiety Group's 24-hour helpline at 0800 456 789 or 011 234 4837 or the Whatsapp chat number 076 882 2775, the Suicide Crisis helpline at 0800 12 13 14, or Lifeline SA at 0861 322 322.
