As the world is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and the upcoming New Year, the entertainment fraternity in Malawi was on Thursday afternoon hit by sad news of the death of renowned radio play actor John Suluma.
Suluma was an actor in the famous MBC Radio one play called Pamajiga. He was known as Aphiri in the play.
According to Willie Soko, producer of the play, Suluma died at his house in Ndirande Township in Blantyre after a short illness.
Soko told Nation on Sunday that the actor was ill for a long time.
“Suluma has been ill for some time but he was always active and doing his job as usual. We started to notice the seriousness of his illness recently but we all didn’t know what the problem was until lately, when he went to the hospital where he was found with cancer of the throat,” he said.
Soko described Suluma’s death as a shock to the station, saying the actor was like the father of the group in the play. He added that Suluma was playing a vital leadership role for the group.
“He is a big loss to the entertainment fraternity and MBC radio one. I worked with him very well and being the longest serving actor for the play, he was my advisor,” said Soko.
Suluma stormed radio airwaves in 1972 and has died at the end of his 40th production.
He has died at the age of 66 leaving a wife, four children and six grandchildren.
He came from Ulongwe in Balaka.
