The family of the late film producer and internationally renowned playwright Mbongeni Ngema has started a legal process to exhume his remains and bury him in the cemetery of his choice.
The shocking titbits were revealed by the Sarafina movie producer’s close associates, who preferred not to be named for fear of reprisals.
The musician, who died in a car crash on his way to a funeral in the Eastern Cape in January, was buried at Chesterville Heroes’ Acre in Red Hill Cemetery, Durban, on January 5 at the behest of his disputed legal wife, Mpumelelo Gumede.
Now, said the associate, Ngema’s family has taken the decision to exhume his remains and bury him at eMfana, where he wished to be buried among his ancestors.
The decision, said the associate, came after the family received Ngema’s marriage certificate from the Department of Home Affairs, which states that he died single.
Sunday World has seen the certificate, which the family had submitted to its lawyers, but could not independently verify its authenticity.
The family, said the associate, also submitted to its legal team a song titled Mhla Ngifayo (When I Die), which the revered playwright recorded with the music group, Baobab Sisters, before his untimely death, announcing his wish to be buried in eMfana.
Some of the lyrics of the song say: “Ngosuku engofa [when I die] ngalo/ningisize nibongigcwaba [please bury me] eMfana kwaNgema eNhlwathi/ningisize ningakushintsi lokho noma ngabe ngingasekho kodwa ningakushintshi lokho [do not ever deviate from this]”.
The plan to exhume him did not come as a surprise because the Ngema family, supported by his customary wife, Yolanda “Wanda” Moncho, squabbled with Gumede after she, -together with the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, took the decision to lay him to rest in Red Hill.
Moncho, who was then three months pregnant with the artist’s child, wrote to KwaZulu-Natal premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, before Ngema’s funeral, pleading with her to assist her in getting involved in the preparations for his -funeral and burial.
In her pleas, Moncho said she became Ngema’s customary wife after he sent a delegation to her family in Diepkloof, Soweto, in 2021 to pay ilobolo for her.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Now Moncho and Ngema’s family have asked his lawyer, Advocate Christopher Shaba-ngu, to initiate a legal process to exhume Ngema’s remains so they could reinter them
at eMafana.
When contacted for comment, Shabangu said: “It is premature for me to talk about this matter, therefore I cannot comment at the moment.”
