Popular SA Actor Hennie Smit of MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU Seriously Ill - but Stable

Hennie Smit, the very popular South African actor and singer who is best known for playing the role of Bertie in EGOLI and who was recently playing the role of Dêda in the Lefra Productions farce MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU, was admitted to hospital two weeks ago with double pneumonia, asthma and a fractured rib. Unfortunately, the fractured rib perforated his lung last week, which has resulted in further complications. Smit is currently being treated in the high care unit in the Wilgers Hospital in Pretoria. His condition has been described by the hospital as serious, but stable.

Frans Swart, the director of MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU en chief executive officer of Lefra Productions, says that Smit is incredibly popular in MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU: "After a few difficult years after EGOLI ended, this big role was just the thing that Hennie needed. He has really blossomed in the last seven months. He is an amazing actor and the role of Deda fits him like a glove and he has received standing ovations from the audience night after night. We miss Hennie terribly in BOETIE and hope and pray that he will completely recover so that he can take up his place in MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU once again."

Longtime friend and singer, Arina de Witt, who is assisting Smit in the hospital, says that he is a wonderful man. "We recently co-wrote a new play, AS DROME VLERKE KRY, which we plan to produce together. Hennie is so excited about the production, and so we believe that he will fully recover," de Witt said.

Smit is a national treature: so many people love him and would like to visit him, but this has become impratical now that he is in intensive care. Swart will post a daily report on Lefra's Facebook page so that fans can keep up with Smit's progress.

For the past two stops in the tour of MY BOETIE SE SUSSIE SE OU, Swart - who also directed the show - has taken over the role of Deda. This included the runs at the State Theatre in Pretoria and at the National Theatre of Namibia in Windhoek. Swart will probably also play the role at the Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival - but he adds, "We still have several runs of the show and Deda is waiting for Hennie Smit - as as he is out of hospital."