South African Musician & Playwright Mbongeni Ngema Dies in Automotive Crash—Creator of Sarafina!

South African composer, producer, and playwright Mbongeni Ngema has died in a automobile crash. The creator of Broadway play ‘Sarafina!’ was 68.

Mbongeni Ngema’s household confirmed he was concerned in a head-on collision whereas getting back from a funeral in Japanese Cape province. Ngema was not driving the automobile. He’s finest recognized for writing ‘Sarafina!’ which premiered on Broadway in 1988. The musical was tailored right into a drama starring Whoopi Goldberg in 1992, incomes Tony and Grammy nominations.

‘Sarafina!’ explores a younger pupil’s struggle in opposition to racial segregation after her instructor is jailed below the South African Apartheid regime. Ngema directed and wrote the e-book for the musical, co-writing the music and lyrics with Hugh Masekela. The musical obtained 5 Tony Awards nominations for Greatest Musical, Greatest Unique Rating, Greatest Choreography, Greatest Featured Actress in a Musical, and Greatest Path of a Musical.

Different productions from Mbongeni Ngema embody ‘Township Fever,’ ‘Mama,’ ‘Asinamali,’ ‘Maria Maria,’ ‘The Zulu – The Musical,’ ‘1906 Bhambada The Freedom Fighter,’ ‘The Home of Shaka,’ and ‘The Lion of the East.’ Within the late ‘90s, Ngema was one of many vocal arrangers for the Disney animated movie, The Lion King. Regardless of his many successes, the South African composer was not with out controversy.

He was implicated in a fraudulent contract award price greater than R14 million in 1995 by his buddy, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Zuma was serving because the well being minister of South Africa on the time. Ngema was supposed to provide a sequel to Sarafina! which by no means materialized.

In July 2019, he was removed from his place as co-director for a manufacturing of Sarafina! following allegations of sexual harassment by a solid member. His ex-wife Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema revealed a memoir detailing a number of allegations of abuse throughout and rape throughout their marriage.

The Gauteng Social Development Department has posthumously granted Ngema is 365 Males’s Award. It acknowledges the transformation from an abuser of ladies to talking out in opposition to gender-based violence.