Image: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Veli Nhlapo
Veteran playwright Welcome Msomi has died at the age of 76.
The Durban-born star’s death was confirmed on Saturday by his lawyer Benito Mangolele. Mangolele referred questions to the family.
Msomi suffered a stroke in November last year that left him paralysed, according to Sowetan.
He is world-renowned for writing and directing theatre play Umabatha. The play is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and details how Mabatha overthrows Dingane. It was staged in 2016 by the University of Pretoria.
He also directed Buya Africa and created music for Tamburlaine the Great, a Royal Shakespeare Company production.
He received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre from the Arts & Culture Trust in 2012.
Msomi served on several boards, including the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC) and as former chairman of the Living Legends Legacy.
Msomi was found guilty of theft and fraud in October 2019 of stealing R8m from the Living Legends Legacy Programme (LLLP) trust account. His sentencing was postponed because of his health.
News of his death sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry, and tributes poured in on social media for the star.