MANZINI – The heartfelt memories and laughter filled the Evangelical Metropolitan Church yesterday as family, friends and dignitaries gathered to celebrate what was termed a remarkable and inspiring life of Sakhile ‘Oros’ Msibi.
Family, friends, dignitaries and celebrities described him as a soldier who paved his way even through the hardest situations and whose energy could light up any room he entered.
The service drew a large crowd of mourners from across the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa and beyond. Among those in attendance was South African television personality Bonang Matheba, accompanied by her cousin Tebogo Mekgwe, better known as ‘Pinky Girl’, who joined members of the royal family, local personalities and friends to pay their last respects to a man who was described as kind and selfless.
Delivering a moving tribute on behalf of Her Royal Highness Princess Sikhanyiso,who was a close friend to Oros, was Qondile Mngometulu. The Princess described Oros, as ‘a beacon of selfless light’ and ‘a thread that shimmered so brightly in the tapestry of life that it seemed to defy the laws of presence and absence.’ The princess said he was a vibrant spirit whose laughter and voice still echoed in her heart.
“Oros was a bridge,” the princess said. “He selflessly introduced people of note to one another who would otherwise have no means of reaching each other. While most people would negotiate a facilitator’s fee for such connections, Oros, nicknamed after his build resembling the Oros Squash mascot, had a heart of pure gold. Ever positive, he refused to entertain depressing thoughts, preferring always to dwell in the light.”
She went on to describe him as ‘a man of extremes, a true extremist of spirits either hot or cold, with nothing in between.’ His joy, she said, filled spaces across Eswatini, South Africa, Dubai and the United States. “He possessed the rare gift of opening doors in high places, often meeting great people in the most unassuming spots. I recall with fondness when he met 50 Cent in a restaurant and immediately bridged the distance to introduce us via video,” Princess Sikhanyiso shared.,
In sharing the princess’ words, Mngometulu added that Oros had once cheated death before, and so many had hoped for another miracle this time. “We remembered when he disappeared in Dubai and we feared the worst, only for him to return. It is deeply saddening that he has passed away abroad, far from those who cherished him. In recent years, we did not see him often; even in September, he had coiled into a shell. I called him multiple times; he had become emotional and withdrawn from a lot of people.”
She added: “I had hoped he would recover. I tried to be a light in his life, encouraging him to find strength in prayer, to which he would respond simply, ‘I do pray.’ It is heavy on my heart that he was alone and far from home when the trumpet sounded. I will miss his vibrancy, his selfless heart and his spirit of servitude. He was a man who was often taken advantage of because he did not know how to be anything other than helpful and forgiving. I pray that the Lord does not look at his weaknesses, but judges him according to his profound goodness. He was truly a light. God bless his journey home.”
As the congregation sat in silence, Mngometulu concluded on behalf of the princess: “Rest in eternal peace, my Sakhile ‘Oros’ Msibi. Good night and see you in the morning.”
On behalf of Oros’s parents, Principal Magistrate Florence Thembelihle Msibi, who is also his aunt, delivered another heartfelt message that left many in tears. She read a tribute filled with tender memories of a son whose final moments were marked by love.
“Before the fateful day of January 6, 2026, Oros made a phone call to us, his parents, lasting about 19 minutes, where he spoke to his mother and later to his father. On January 7, he made his last call, which lasted three minutes to his father. We did not know that both these calls would be the last. If we had known, we would not have wanted those calls to end,” she read softly.
She continued: “A simple moment that has become a sacred memory. Words were spoken which will never be forgotten, perhaps ordinary things discussed, never knowing it would be the final conversation. There is something deeply touching about a child’s last call being to a parent. It speaks of love, of connection, of home. In that call lives everything that mattered.”
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