The drama that surrounded Mbongeni Ngema’s Funeral was averted, and the ceremony was a peaceful one.
Before Mbongeni Ngema was buried, his family claimed that the Ngema family spokesperson Nhlanhla said nothing to them about the memorial service and funeral details. They also disputed reports that the late playwright would be laid to rest at Heroes Acre in the Redhill Cemetary in Durban.
In a letter written to the KwaZulu-Natal office of the premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the family said they were not pleased with how matters relating to the burial were being handled. They wrote,
“To this date, the family knows nothing formally about the memorial service, which was supposed to be held at KwaNgema eMfana Homestead (04/01/2024) as discussed in a brief meeting that was held on Sunday (31/12/2023).”
The family also revealed that they were a big family with elders remaining in eMfana. According to them, the family elders knew nothing about the details of the burial
“The community came to mourn with us, and we told them there would be a memorial service. Community leaders feel that we lied to the community of eNhlwathi, Mission area.”
“As a family of eMfana eNhlwathi we strongly believe that if there were any conflicts and misunderstandings, … there should have been a way for both parties sitting down as a family to discuss the solution prior to the final decision.”
However, Mbongeni’s brother Nhlanhla confirmed that there was no disagreement, and the burial went on as planned.
