Fanele Zulu, who played Dr Mnqobi Mchunu, bid farewell to eTV’s Durban Gen in January 2021, after the storyline called for one of the doctors to be killed.
Fanele Zulu’s character, Dr Mnqobi Mchunu, was killed off the Durban Gen storyline in January 2021, following a fatal shooting by Ringo, who held the entire hospital hostage. The character was shot by Ringo whilst trying to protect Dr Zulu’s daughter, Lwandle, leading to him being honoured as a hero at the hospital.
The emotional scene saw him succumbing to his injuries in front of his shooter and the young girl, as he slowly slumped into a pool of his own blood. The actor took to Instagram after the airing of the episode to thank his fans, the show and the cast for affording him the opportunity to portray the character.
He stated, “Dr Mnqobi Mchunu, you have played your role, it is so hard letting you go because we became one person. You took over and told your truth. I’m going to forever miss you brother.” Fanele also shared an emotional video of himself being surrounded by the cast after his final scene, where he was seen hunched over and crying as his castmates celebrated him.
His departure does not appear to have been caused by any dispute between him and production company, Stained Glass TV, as both parties were gracious towards one another after his final episode. Fans of Durban Gen were also understanding of the writers’ decision to kill off the character, as it added a surprising plot twist to the storyline.
Watch the video below.
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