On Wednesday, 3 January, the Durban Playhouse hosted the memorial service of the renowned Sarafina! creator Mbongeni Ngema, who passed away on Wednesday, 27 December in a tragic road accident. He was returning from a funeral service in Mbizana in the Eastern Cape when his white Renault sedan collided with a truck around 4.30 pm, according to the Eastern Cape police who are probing the case of culpable homicide, TshisaLIVE reported.
Many people from different walks of life paid tribute to Ngema on social media and at the memorial service, which was attended by several dignitaries including the former president Jacob Zuma. Zuma made a dramatic entrance in the middle of the service, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd, as captured in a video shared on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) yesterday.
[WATCH] Former president Jacob Zuma's entrance sends crowd into jubilation at Mbongeni Ngema's memorial service. #newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/pugRz6zBGY
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 3, 2024
However, not everyone was amused by Zuma’s flamboyant gesture and some South Africans on social media expressed their displeasure in the comments section. The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has granted Ngema a Special Provincial Funeral, which will take place on Friday, 5 January at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), the SABC reported.