As commiserations and condolences continue to pour in for comedian John Nyanga a.k.a Izeki, President Arthur Peter Mutharika and First Lady Madame Gertrude Mutharika have expressed their sense of loss at the demise of a man they identify as more than a comedian. John Nyanga passed away on Sunday at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre after a bout with pneumonia and tuberculosis according to family members.
In a message on his official Facebook page, the President pointed out the impact Izeki had on Malawians.
“Besides being an entertainer Izeki played a huge role to society as an educator and agent of social change for close to three decades. Gertrude and I hereby join all Malawians in celebrating the life of a man who contributed so much to the country,” wrote President Mutharika.
Nyanga’s drama and comedy journey as a national figure dates back to the early 80s when he started performing duo comedy with Eric Mabedi also known as Jacob. Besides comedy Izeki was also a force behind Alufeyo Performing Arts and Kwathu Drama Group.
Together with Mabedi they -for close to 30 years- crisscrossed the country entertaining and relaying messages to the masses on behalf of government, private sector, non-governmental organizations and even charity organizations. He will be laid to rest this coming Wednesday in Blantyre.