‘Sarafina!’ celebrated South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema dies in car crash at 68

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The family of renowned South African playwright, producer and composer Mbongeni Ngema said he has died in a car crash at the age of 68. In a statement on Wednesday, Ngema’s family said he was killed in a head-on car accident while returning from a funeral in the village of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape province on Wednesday evening. The celebrated playwright was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the crash. He was best known for creating the hit Sarafina! which first premiered on Broadway in 1988. It was adapted into a musical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg in 1992 which became an international success and was nominated for the Tony and Grammy Awards.