That Mbongeni Ngema originally planned to stage the musical Sarafina at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg in 1987 is something that most people are unaware of. On the 2nd of July, 1989, it was staged at the Cort Theatre, where it ran for one more year. So, Mbongeni Ngema and his co-writers (Darrell Roodt and William Nicholson) decided to turn this idea into a movie after all. 1992 was the year of the film’s theatrical release.
Students from Soweto, South Africa, staged an uprising against apartheid in 1976.
The film was first released in 1980, making it 28 years old now. A look back at how the cast looked in comparison to how they look today.
#1-Leleti Khumalo is Sarafina.
#2-The role of Mary Masembuko, played by Whoopi Goldberg.
#3-Somizi Mhlongo, the Flame of Africa
#4-John Kani was the school principal.
#5-Guitarist played by Sipho Kunene
#6-Dumisani Dlamini as the Crocodile.
#7-Mbongeni Ngema in the role of Sabela.
If you haven’t seen it, here’s a quick synopsis of what you can expect:
The apartheid-era South African girl Sarafina was fighting for her freedom. When the movement to make Afrikaans the school’s official language leads her to protest with her fellow students, she has remained relatively silent in her opposition to racism’s government. However, When her favorite teacher, Ms. Masombuka, is arrested for teaching in English rather than Afrikaans, her anti-government views become even more pronounced.
Soweto Uprising students, who were opposed to Afrikaans being used as the language of instruction in schools, are the focus of the story.
At the same time, the shame of Sarafina’s role as a domestic servant in an apartheid South African family motivates her friends to rise up and protest their treatment. A picture of Nelson Mandela, who was still imprisoned on Robben Island at the time, is prominently displayed by Sarafina in the film’s opening scene.
The film shows Sarafina talking while staring at Mandela’s picture on the wall, criticizing him for being gone for so long and not responding to the nation’s pleas, idolizing him as someone who can change the horrific situation that South Africa is in. We see this again and again throughout the movie..