26 Facts About Mbongeni Ngema

Mbongeni Ngema was known for plays that reflected the spirit of black South Africans under apartheid, and won much praise for his work, but was the subject of several controversies.

Mbongeni Ngema died in a car accident on 27 December 2023.

Mbongeni Ngema was born on 10 May 1955 in Verulam, Natal, the third of seven children of Gladys Hadebe and Zwelikhethabantu Ngema.

Mbongeni Ngema moved back to Verulam and then Durban to attend various high schools.

Mbongeni Ngema taught himself to play the guitar, inspired by his father.

Mbongeni Ngema moved to Johannesburg, initially working in a fertilizer factory.

Mbongeni Ngema joined Gibson Kente's theatre company as a singer and trainee actor, and was exposed to the work of Stanislavski, Peter Brook and Jerzy Grotowski.

Mbongeni Ngema wrote about and was known for his representation of the spirit of Black South Africans under the apartheid regime.

Mbongeni Ngema wrote and in 1983 directed a production of the prison musical Asinamali, which, soon after its first performance in South Africa was raided by police and actors arrested.

Mbongeni Ngema was one of the vocal arrangers for the Disney film The Lion King, for which he earned a multi-platinum award for sales in excess of 6 million copies.

In 1995, Mbongeni Ngema created Sarafina II, a musical addressing the AIDS epidemic in South Africa, which debuted in early 1996.

In 1997, Mbongeni Ngema was both composer and producer of his solo album Woza My Fohloza, which he showcased on a tour of South Africa.

Also in 1997, Mbongeni Ngema was appointed a visiting lecturer at the University of Zululand to teach his unique technique and subsequently produced the first CD released by the university's music department.

In 1998, Mbongeni Ngema was inducted into the New York "Walk of Fame" in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan, New York City, as one of the revered writers of the 21st century.

The City of Durban commissioned Mbongeni Ngema to compose a song to celebrate the new millennium.

In 2006, the South African government commissioned Mbongeni Ngema to write 1906 Bhambada The Freedom Fighter, to celebrate the centenary of the Zulu Rebellion against the settler government in the colony of Natal, led by Bhambatha.

Mbongeni Ngema composed several music albums, including Stimela SaseZola, which was at the time his biggest album in South Africa.

Mbongeni Ngema wrote and arranged numerous songs as well as arranging music for artists such as Michael Bolton, on the soundtrack for the 1989 film Sing.

Mbongeni Ngema participated in a song called "Take This Song", recorded with the reggae band Third World, co-writing the backing vocals.

Mbongeni Ngema had heard her when she was working on a play at the South African State Theatre, and decided to mentor her.

Mbongeni Ngema remained married, with Nduneni-Ngema acting as his business partner during the making of the film of Sarafina, in which Khumalo starred.

Mbongeni Ngema later called her marriage "disgusting", saying that she was not allowed any freedom and had "fourteen years of misery".

Mbongeni Ngema died in a head-on car collision on 27 December 2023, while returning from a funeral in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape; he was a passenger.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa as well as the head of the ruling African National Congress party, paid tribute to Mbongeni Ngema, saying that his "masterfully creative narration of our liberation struggle honoured the humanity of oppressed South Africans" and "exposed the inhumanity" of the apartheid regime.

In 1997, Mbongeni Ngema was investigated for fraud concerning the spending of the R3m paid to him for the play.

In 2002 Mbongeni Ngema composed a song called "AmaNdiya", which was critical of how the Indian people of KwaZulu Natal were treating its employees and paying them a pittance.