President bids farewell to actor, writer
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has joined the creative sector and audiences in paying tribute to acclaimed actor and playwright Winston Ntshona, who died yesterday.
Ramaphosa has extended his condolences to Ntshona’s family, friends, colleagues and comrades. He said Ntshona would be remembered for his immeasurable contribution to the creative industry and performance art in particular, which he leveraged as a platform of resistance against apartheid.
“In 2010 Mr Ntshona was awarded the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his excellent contribution to theatre and the arts scene in South Africa. Mr Ntshona’s shining gifts in performance art were widely appreciated when he collaborated with his peers – the equally celebrated John Kani and Athol Fugard – in the political dramas Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island,” Presidency.
“Ntshona was a protest-theatre stalwart who captivated audiences globally and earned a prestigious Tony Award for Best Actor from the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League in recognition of his exceptional performances.
“We are saddened by the loss of a leading light in our creative sector; one who caused us in the audience to focus attention on his compelling performance, while he said the caused us to reflect on ourselves and the human condition.
“Ntshona embodied the important role that artists played in exposing the injustices of apartheid and moving people in South Africa and elsewhere to act against an unjust regime. As an artist with a just cause he ensured that the curtain would never come down on our Struggle,” said Ramaphosa.
“Ntshona is a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-generation artist whose impact on our world today is inscribed on South Africa’s history for generations that follow to draw lessons from and uplift our nation as he has done in his lifetime. Our hearts are heavy as a towering tree of knowledge has fallen, and yet we are comforted to know that his work will continue through those he helped shape in instilling social consciousness. May his soul rest in peace,” he said. – Staff Writer