by Thinus Ferreira
The filmmaker and actor Shona Ferguson (47) who died on Friday afternoon from Covid-19 complications will be laid to rest in a private funeral service this Wednesday, his family said in a statement on Tuesday, with a date for the memorial service that might be public, that will be announced later.
Shona Ferguson, who was married to co-producer and actress Connie Ferguson and who owned the production company Ferguson Films, died on Friday afternoon at the Milpark private hospital in Johannesburg after he was admitted a week ago suffering from chest pains and struggling to breathe.
Ferguson Films produced several series for MultiChoice and M-Net's DStv channels like Mzansi Magic and 1Magic (DStv 103) including The Queen, The Throne, Igazi, The Herd, The River and The Imposter, and Unmarried and Step Up to a Start-Up on which he was an executive producer.
Shona Ferguson received the Golden Horn award at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) in the Best Actor in a TV soap category, and won another one for Best Achievement by a Lead Actor in a made-for-TV movie.
The 6-episode drama series Kings of Joburg was produced for Netflix by Ferguson Films in 2020.
Ferguson Films recently announced plans to open The Ferguson Film School for aspiring filmmakers.
"The Ferguson family would like to confirm that the late Shona Ferguson will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended only by family members on Wednesday 4 August 2022," Ferguson films and family spokesperson Thato Matuka said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
"Details of a memorial service will be communicated at a later stage once all the necessary arrangements have been finalised. We would like to thank our friends and the public at large for the kind words of comfort during this difficult period."
