Bra Sol Rachilo Remembered as a Giant of Newtown

Story and photos by Jabu Kumalo

A memorial service for veteran actor, playwright and cultural activist Ntate Solomon Rachilo became an occasion not only to remember a towering figure of South African theatre, but also to confront the conditions in which many of the country’s artists are forced to live and die.

A livid councillor berated politicians, directors in the arts industry and other so-called stakeholders in the performing arts, accusing them of failing artists and neglecting the very people whose work has enriched South Africa’s cultural life.

Ward 60 councillor for the City of Johannesburg’s inner city, Sihle Nguse, did not mince his words as he called upon those making the lives of actors unbearable to change their ways during the memorial service for Ntate Solomon Rachilo, popularly known as Bra Sol or Solrah by young and old.

Nguse’s words raised the roof as he told mourners: “I am a politician myself. We must start refusing to have politicians as our custodians. They have let people like Bra Sol down. To the directors in the arts industry, as directors, you are not doing what you are supposed to do! It is unfair that we devalue our legends as we did with Bra Sol.”

He said it was shameful that a legend like Bra Sol had to resort to recycling to earn a living.

“He died doing recycling. Directors, you are not doing what you are supposed to do. You move around corridors doing nothing. You don’t see his work anywhere. He died without being conferred a doctorate. Why must we die poor?”

Bra Sol was a familiar presence around the Newtown precinct, where almost everybody who lived, walked and worked in the area knew him.

A visibly furious Nguse said one of the buildings around the area must be named after Bra Sol.

“Directors sitting here must drive that initiative. I will drive it politically.”

The memorial service was held at the iconic Market Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg, on 25 August 2026.

The programme was led by two prominent legends in the creative industry, Nomsa Manaka and Josias Dos Moleele, who lightened what was supposed to be a sombre occasion for the family, friends and colleagues of Ntate Rachilo, turning it into a humorous and warm gathering.

One of the legends who graced the function and was also a speaker, John Kani, had the audience in stitches as he recalled how he met Bra Sol.

Kani said: “I remember well the first time I met him. He had visited our neighbourhood in Port Elizabeth. We were still very young up-and-coming artists with Winston Ntshona. After what we thought was our great performance, he came up to us and said, ‘You boys still have a long way to go!’”

“He was an empathic human being. He cared a lot about others. A man of big English words, Bra Sol never regarded himself as an actor. He always referred to himself as a thespian. (Pity) This man lived from hand to mouth … he always walked long distances. He was a walking library.”

Entertainment for the day was provided by music veterans and jazz gurus Sipho ‘Hotsix’ Mabuse and Prince Lengoasa, as well as a choir called The Spirit of 1956.

President Cyril Ramaphosa issued an instruction that the national flags should fly at half-mast in Gauteng during the funeral of the icon.

Bra Sol was not just an actor. He wore many hats during his lifetime. He was also an author, playwright, poet, cultural activist and social worker. He also taught in the arts industry, and many of his mentees attended his memorial service.

Depending on whom you were talking to, this great man had several different birth dates. However, his family and representatives of Vuyo’s Funerals set the record straight, telling the audience that his real date of birth was 12 December 1931. He passed away on 15 August 2026 after a career spanning six decades. He was 95 years old.

An employee of the Market Theatre Foundation, Simphiwe Boya, who had a close relationship with the late legend, said he would always miss Bra Sol.

Simphiwe said: “This place will never be the same without his smiles, charming personality, endless stories and passion for the arts. Bra Sol was interacting with every generation, young and old. Whenever he came here, he demanded to see me.

“Bra Sol remains an important part of the theatre, and we are deeply grateful to him and his generation for their contribution to our story. I will never forget the coffee sessions we used to have. They were accompanied by biscuits, of course. Bra Sol believed in me and my talent. He always challenged me to dream big and push myself. Though I was not an actor, he wanted me to act in one of the plays he was involved in.”

Bheki Sibiya, representing Vuyo’s Funerals, one of the supporters of the memorial service and funeral, said the family should take comfort in the positive contribution Bra Sol made during his life. He called him the Godfather of Newtown.

“Nobody would touch Bra Sol there!”

Rachilo’s grandson, Bheki Rachilo, told the audience that when a person like Solrah dies, “the whole university burns down”.

“We are not a big family, but because of him, we are well recognised. He always lit any room when he entered. We regarded him as a giant.”

Businesswoman and longtime friend of Bra Sol, Simnkiwe Niki Sondlo, of the famous Newtown eatery Niki’s Oasis Restaurant, said the late icon cared deeply about young people.

Said Niki: “In an indirect way, he was doing a lot of marketing for us at Niki’s. He was a generous man. He loved people. He remembered people. He remembered their stories. He remembered the little things that they said. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for being part of Newtown. Newtown will never be the same without you.”

Shimane Mashigo, of the Siphiwe Msimango Foundation (SMF), which supported and recognised Bra Sol for many years, said Ntate Rachilo used the talent he had been given many times over and to the fullest.

In February this year, the foundation held an unforgettable birthday celebration for Rachilo. It was to be his last birthday party.

Mashigo said: “At Siphiwe Msimango Foundation, we pride ourselves on celebrating people while they are still alive, while they can still smell the flowers. It was always a pleasure to be around him (Rachilo).”

Bra Sol was buried on Wednesday, 26 August 2026. The funeral service was held at the Soweto Theatre’s Gibson Kente Wing.