Tributes pour in for Mbongeni Ngema

The 68-year-old passed away in a car accident last night while returning from a funeral in the Eastern Cape.

Ngema who was in born in Verulam north of Durban received Tony Award nominations for his work in Asina-mali and Sarafina. 

He also received a Grammy Award nomination for his contributions in Sarafina.

Minister of Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa says Ngema's passing is a loss to the South African arts. 

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“At a critical time in the liberation struggle against apartheid, Dr Ngema took the plays Woza Albert, Asinamali and Sarafina to international stages. These productions not only showcased South African talent, but also narrated to the world the experiences of South Africans who were ostracised and brutalised under apartheid.”

“In the democratic years, Dr Ngema’s works would reflect the mood, hopes, joy and challenges of life in democratic South Africa. Whether it was through the defiant songs in Sarafina, the determination expressed in songs such as Lizobuya, or the exuberance of songs such as Stimela sase Zola, Dr Ngema’s work did much to foster social cohesion and to express critical moments of South African history through the arts.”