Mbongeni Ngema, South African theatre legend behind the musical ‘Sarafina!’, killed in car crash

Writer, musician and director was praised for work that reflected ‘the spirit of resistance’

(Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Mbongeni Ngema, renowned South African creator of the musical Sarafina!, has died in a car crash aged 68.

News of his death was announced by his family in a statement to the Associated Press. It is understood that he was a passenger in the car.

“Ngema was killed in a head-on car accident while returning from a funeral he was attending in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape this evening,” the statement said.

More than 700 people have been killed in car accidents in South Africa since the beginning of December, the BBC reports.

Born in 1955, Ngema began his career in the arts as a backing guitarist, before appearing in a number of local stage productions during the Seventies.

He rose to fame in the Eighties with works that reflected “the spirit of resistance” under the racist system of apartheid.

His 1987 musical Sarafina!, which was later adapted into a film starring Whoopi Goldberg, was set during the Soweto Uprising and follows the title character as she inspires her student peers to rise up against racist oppression.

In the 1992 film adaptation, Sarafina was played by Leleti Khumalo, while her mother was played by legendary South African musician and activist Miriam Makeba. Goldberg starred as Sarafina’s teacher, Mary Masombuka.

(Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Ngema caused controversy with some of his plays after apartheid, which ended in 1994. In 2003, his song “AmaNdiya” was banned from radio in South Africa after being accused of inciting racial hatred against South Africa’s Indian community.

Nelson Mandela urged Ngema to apologise, commenting: “I think he can do nothing better than to apologise if he has offended anyone with racist lyrics.”

However, Ngema refused, telling Zulu radio: “It is my role as an artist... to mirror the society and highlight the plight of the people on the ground. The leadership relies on us artists to voice out issues where there is perceived oversight.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa led tributes to Ngema in the wake of his death, commenting that his “masterfully creative narration of our liberation struggle honoured the humanity of oppressed South Africans” and “exposed the inhumanity” of the apartheid regime.

South African actor Sophie Ndaba said that Ngema would be remembered for generations to come.

“What a loss to the creative arts industry,” she wrote in a tribute shared to Instagram.

“Mbongeni Ngema will be remembered for generations to come. Thank you for inspiring us with your creative work and music. Condolences to the Ngema family.”

Sarafina! producer Anant Singh said in a statement to Deadline: “We have lost a trailblazing creative talent who fearlessly brought awareness of South Africa under apartheid to a global audience using the theatre as a platform.

“He has left an indelible mark on South African theatre and the creative industries as a whole. This is clearly demonstrated by the timelessness of Sarafina! the film.

“Mbongeni was an inspiration and mentored many young artists who are now household names. His passing leaves a deep void but he leaves a rich legacy that will endure for posterity.”