Linda Ximba
To many South Africans, 9 May probably doesn’t mean anything special, but in Harlem in New York City it is the day when two South African legends of the arts are celebrated.
The day was declared as Duma Ndlovu and Mbongeni Ngema Day by Congressman Charles Rangel in 2016.
The veteran playwrights and civil rights activists are recognised for their work in bringing South African Theatre to the United States.
Ndlovu, 67, and Ngema, 65, spent many years in the US during exile and while there they forged a brotherhood and worked together on many stage plays.
The plays were well received in America and include Ngema’s famous musical Sarafina which premiered on Broadway in 1997 and ran until 1998.
US audiences were wowed by Woza Albert, the play on which the two collaborated with Percy Mtwa, which premiered in 1984.
Recalling this special day, Ndlovu wrote on Facebook: “Way back then one ran around just having fun and doing plays and doing work that today proves to have changed people’s lives and written our names in the history books!
“Voza Rivers presented us with the Citations in front of a full theatre in Harlem where some of the people who had seen our work 30 years ago were in attendance. It was quite an emotional occasion!”
Since returning home in 1992, Ndlovu has worked in many productions like Muvhango, Uzalo, Imbewu: The Seed, which have all enjoyed a big viewership on SABC and e-tv.
He even received a writing credit on Disney’s The Lion King.
Ngema is also an internationally recognised singer and composer and features in stage shows from time to time.
