Details of the memorial and funeral service for veteran playwright Mbongeni Ngema have been announced. Ngema died in hospital on Wednesday after a car crash involving a truck on the R61 in the Mbizana area in the Eastern Cape.The Ngema family has announced a memorial service for the playwright and musician will be held on January 3 at the Playhouse, Durban, and the funeral service on January 5.The funeral venue in KwaZulu-Natal and the time of the memorial service have not yet been announced.

“The Ngema family and committed artists would like to thank the public and media for the outpouring of grief and continuous coverage since the sudden passing of Dr Ngema. The family recognizes that Dr. Ngema was not exclusively theirs, for he belonged to the entire people of South Africa, and indeed the international community,” read the statement shared with TshisaLIVE.