Mbongeni Ngema’s funeral underway!THE funeral of legendary playwright and musician Mbongeni Ngema is underway at ICC in Durban, KZN.

He will be buried at Heroes Acre in Redhill on Friday, 5 January.

Ngema died in a car crash on his way from the Eastern Cape to KZN, coming from the funeral of a woman who was taking care of actors.

 

 

 

Actors such as Leleti Khumalo and politicians like Bheki Cele and Zizi Kodwa attended the funeral. Leleti, who is a Sarafina star and Ngema’s ex-wife, shared her last day with Ngema a day before he died.

She said Ngema had a beautiful speech and thanked them, calling them by names like he was saying goodbye to them. “We are sad as the country. The whole country is sad. What makes me sadder is that when this thing happened, we were together the day before. We were burying one of our mothers who took care of us in this industry, and I remember very well ubabu Ngema gave a beautiful speech. It was like he was saying goodbye. He thanked all of us, calling us by name as the team from Committed Artists.”

“I’m still traumatised when I think of a trip we took from Lusikisiki coming to Durban. It could have been us. It could have been me, but it happened, and we want to say to the family our deepest condolences,” she said.

Leleti praised Mbongeni for identifying talents and shaping them to the global level.

“Mbongeni has been a pillar to everyone in the industry. I come from KwaMashu but before me, no one could believe that this such talent came to KwaMashu. He was able to take a talent and take it and shape it and make it global,” she said. Legendary actor Dumisani Dlamini said Ngema played a big role in identifying him in Umlazi and making him an internationally acclaimed star.

“There’s no me without Mbongeni Ngema. I have a daughter, Doja Cat who is making waves overseas because of Ngema,” he said.