Mbongeni Ngema: a giant of SA stage and screen
● Tributes have poured in for Sarafina! creator and acclaimed playwright Mbongeni Ngema, who died in a head-on collision with a truck on his way to Durban on Wednesday.
Ngema, 68, was travelling with his friend, Mark Roth, after he had attended the funeral of his former company manager, Sheila Paris, in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
The theatre veteran, who received Tony and Grammy nominations and was inducted into the New York Walk of Fame in 1998, died in hospital from his injuries. Roth and the truck driver survived the crash on the R61 between Mbizana and Magusheni.
While police are investigating a case of culpable homicide, several actors and theatre gurus remembered his awardwinning works, including Woza Albert!.
Greg Homann, artistic director of The Market Theatre Foundation, recalled how the theatre industry was changed when Ngema and Percy Mtwa created Woza Albert! alongside Barney Simon at The Market Theatre.
“It has become the quintessential political play that still defines a style and form of South African theatre that inspires and is known throughout the theatrical world. In many ways, this contribution alone cemented Ngema’s name in the history of theatre.
Television and stage actor Sello Maake kaNcube said he was struggling to come to terms with Ngema’s death, reflecting on the impact he had on his career in the arts, which spans more than 40 years.
“Dr Mbongeni Ngema’s passing has literally left me speechless. I cannot believe we are now talking about Madlokovu in the past tense. This is a man who had a great influence on our creative and cultural community. I got to perform in Woza Albert! after he initially performed it with Percy Mtwa. From this opportunity my career took off, and many may not know that Ngema indirectly passed on his baton to me and many others. May his soul rest in peace.”
Ngema’s musical legacy is also secure. His hit songs include Stimela sa se Zola and
Woza My-Fohloza, among many others.
In 2020, Ngema released a remix of Freedom Is Coming Tomorrow from his hit film Sarafina! (1992), which depicts students involved in the Soweto uprising of June 1976.
Gigi Lamayne, who featured in the remake, said working with Ngema taught her freedom can come in different ways, and the importance of living a life of purpose.
“He taught us about the atrocities of apartheid and our newly found freedom. He trusted somebody like me as a young millennial to carry forth the message to people who are like me who may not understand. We lost a great giant, but I do not feel he has fallen ... He has become immortal through his work.”
Ngema’s life was mired in controversy when Sarafina! lead actress Leleti Khumalo, whom he married in 1992, accused him of domestic violence. He also came under fire for squandering millions in producing a sequel to Sarafina! and other productions.