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Mbongeni Ngema, South African playwright and creator of 'Sarafina!', killed in a car crash at 68

South Africa Mbongeni Ngema Obit
Posted at 9:50 AM, Dec 28, 2023
and last updated 2023-12-28 09:50:24-05

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, becoming an international success and was nominated for the Tony and Grammy Awards.