South African playwright, creator of 'Sarafina!' is killed in a car crash at 68

Performers Percy Mtwa, left, and Mbongeni Ngema in a scene from 'Woza Albert' at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1981. Ngema has died in a fatal car crash at the age of 68, his family confirmed on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Renowned South African playwright, producer and composer Mbongeni Ngema has died in a car crash at the age of 68, his family said.

"Ngema was killed in a head-on car accident while returning from a funeral he was attending in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape this evening,” his family said in a statement on Wednesday. The celebrated playwright was a passenger in the vehicle involved in the crash.