Tributes continue to pour in for Dr Ngema

Tributes for cultural stalwart, Dr Mbongeni Ngema, who passed away in a car accident this week, continue to pour in. 

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi has joined South Africans in conveying his condolences following the passing of Ngema.

“Premier Panyaza Lesufi, on behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government, joins the creative arts fraternity and the rest of South Africa in mourning the passing of dramatist, composer and theatrical director, Dr Mbongeni Ngema, who passed away on Wednesday evening,” said the Gauteng provincial government in a statement on Thursday.

It said Dr Ngema educated and enlightened the world about South Africa’s surroundings and circumstances through his artistic creations and storytelling.

It added that the world-renowned Sarafina musical production depicted the lives of black people under the racist system of apartheid, forcing the world to join South Africans and reject the atrocities of the white regime.

“Dr Ngema was an outstanding dramatist, socially aware, and astute visionary. His untimely and tragic death has left us devastated, yet the rich legacy of his work only serves to ease our sorrow,” said Premier Lesufi, in sending his heartfelt condolences to the Ngema family, the creative arts, and South Africans at large.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa are among those who have conveyed their condolences.

Born in the town of Verulam in KwaZulu-Natal, Ngema’s work touched and moved audiences around the world and made an important contribution in telling the South African story, said Minister Kodwa. –SAnews.gov.za