'Isitha: The Enemy' Actor Webster Kuotane’s Friend Hints at Cause of Death: “I Was Not Shocked”
- The Isitha: The Enemy actor, who played Poni Poni, passed away on Saturday, 21 February 2026, at the age of 39
- While the official cause of death has not been publicly confirmed, Kuotane’s close friend, Dr Noluthando Motsoane, hinted at it during the memorial service on Thursday, 26 February at the Ratanda Multipurpose Hall in Ratanda, Heidelberg
- Actress Nonhlanhla Ngubeni, who plays Matshidiso Mkhabela-Sokhulu on Isitha: The Enemy, shared her final interactions with Kuotane, hours before he passed away
- Briefly News spoke to a grieving counsellor who shared tips on how to mourn a publicised loss
Source: Facebook
A friend of the late Isitha: The Enemy actor, Webster Kuotane, has hinted at his cause of death.
Isitha: The Enemy fans were caught off guard when Black Brain Pictures announced that the actor who portrayed the character Poni Poni had died on Monday, 23 February 2026. Kuotane passed away on Saturday, 21 February, at the age of 39.
While Webster Kuotane’s cause of death has not been publicly confirmed, his close friend, Dr Noluthando Motsoane, hinted at what could have led to the Isitha: The Enemy’s sudden death.
Isitha: The Enemy actor's friend hints at cause of death
Speaking at Kuotane’s memorial service on Thursday, 26 February at the Ratanda Multipurpose Hall in Ratanda, Heidelberg, Dr Noluthando Motsoane said Kutoane struggled with depression.
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Dr Motsoane said everyone around Webster Kutoane tried to help him in any way possible, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
"I felt I did not do enough, but I need to assure you he did his best. The level of depression Webster went through, I think him alone understood. Webster seemed healthy. There's no formula we did not try in the book. There were times when I said, 'Webster, I'm defeated. How did we get here?' Webster tried; I tried. They tried. All the friends from ‘Isitha’ tried. Best friends tried," she said.
Dr Motsoane said he had been struggling since October 2024. She said that she was not surprised when she got the call that Webster Kuotane had passed away.
"Webster said to me, 'I'm giving you three months to make me the happiest man on earth.' So, when I got the call, I was not shocked. Because he had purposed it in his heart. And we're here," she said.
Isitha: The Enemy actress shares last moments with colleague
Actress Nonhlanhla Ngubeni, who plays Matshidiso Mkhabela-Sokhulu on Isitha: The Enemy, shared her final moments with Webster Kuotane, who played her friend and love interest on the etv show.
Ngubeni said Kuotane sent her a message on Friday evening, 20 February 2026, asking where she was. She said she found the message peculiar but did not think much about it. Early on Saturday, Ngubeni said she woke up and something told ger to pray but she didn’t.
"Poni called me Friday night at 9 pm and asked where I was. I told him Soweto, but he stays far from me. I don't know why he was asking about my whereabouts. I went to sleep and woke up at 1 a.m., and something said I should pray, but I didn't pray. I later saw on Facebook that he had passed away,” Ngubeni recounted.
Source: Facebook
Speaking to Briefly News, grief counsellor Paula Quinsee explained that grieving in public can make loss even harder because of attention and pressure from others.
She suggested reducing social media use or asking a trusted person to handle messages and tributes. Paula Quinsee also advised that grieving individuals should decide when to respond to public sympathy and when to step back. She emphasised that public mourning needs balance, which involves protecting your emotional space while acknowledging public support.
Mandla N mourns Isitha: The Enemy actor
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that Mandla N mourned the tragic passing of Isitha: The Enemy actor Webster Kutoane.
The film producer spoke highly of his late colleague and the impact he had in the film industry, describing him as a "creative genius".
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Source: Briefly News
Tayananiswa Zvikaramba (Editor) Tayananiswa Zvikaramba is an entertainment writer at Briefly News. He previously worked as a profiler, sports, human interest, entertainment, and current affairs writer at Pindula (2016-2022) and iHarare (2022-2025). He holds a BA Honours in Archaeology from the University of Zimbabwe (2010-2013), YOAST SEO for Beginners (2023), YOAST Block Editor Training (2023), and YOAST Structured Data for Beginners (2023). Email: tayananiswa.zvikaramba@briefly.co.za
Paula Quinsee (Certified Relationship Therapy Educator and founder of Engaged Humans) Paula Quinsee is the founder of Engaged Humans, facilitating connection between individuals and organisations to create a more human-connected world. She is a certified Imago Relationship Therapy educator and facilitator, NLP practitioner, PDA analyst, coach and trainer. Paula is also the author of two self-help guides - Embracing Conflict and Embracing No - as well as an international speaker, advocate for mental health and activist for gender-based violence.
