The Gauteng Social Development Department says it is honoured to have awarded Dr Mbongeni Ngema with the prestigious 365 Men’s Award for being a positive role model.
Ngema was killed in a head-on collision last night at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
His family says in a statement that the 68-year-old Ngema was returning from a funeral in the Eastern Cape when the accident happened.
The department says the award was in acknowledgment of his positive contribution towards the Arts, but also appreciating his change from being an abuser to a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) activist.
Gauteng Social Development MEC Mbali Hlophe says, “He joins the likes of the late Patrick Shai who are men in the public domain who came out and used their celebrity status to repent and talk about their contribution towards GBV and the abuse they inflicted on women. Seeking to use their story and lessons to teach others not to commit the same ills they did. Ensuring that we promote positive masculinity.”
Tributes pour in for the late musician and playwright Mbongeni Ngema:
Sports, Arts and Culture minister
Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa has hailed Ngema as a creative who told distinctly South African stories which reflected the people’s experiences.
Among Ngema’s most acclaimed works is Sarafina which he wrote for the stage in 1988. It was adapted for screen in 1992, starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Ngema was also a renowned actor, choreographer, composer and musician whose works reflected the spirit of resistance during the apartheid years.
Mbongeni Ngema | His passing is a significant loss to SA arts: Zizi Kodwa:
