Mbongeni Ngema, South African playwright and creator of ‘Sarafina!’, is killed in a car crash at 68
By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The family of renowned South African playwright, producer and composer Mbongeni Ngema says he has died in a car crash at the age of 68. The family says he was killed in a head-on accident while returning from a funeral in the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province on Wednesday. The celebrated playwright was a passenger in the vehicle. He was best known for creating the hit Sarafina!, which premiered on Broadway in 1988. It was adapted into a musical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg in 1992, becoming an international success and being nominated for Tony and Grammy awards.