Veteran playwright Welcome Msomi, 76, dies

Playwright Welcome Msomi. (Photo: Gallo Illustrations or photos / Sowetan / Veli Nhlapo)

• Veteran playwright Welcome Msomi has died soon after “a short illness”.
• Msomi suffered a stroke in November 2019 even though in the midst of a lawful fight.
• He was globally renowned for composing and directing the enjoy uMabatha – an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth in isiZulu.

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UPDATE – 11:00

President Cyril Ramaphosa on dying of Welcome Msomi: ‘We have shed a cultural stalwart’

President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement on Sunday early morning mentioned South Africa’s creative community has shed a important treasure with the passing of Welcome Msomi.

The President expressed his condolences to the spouse and children, good friends and colleagues of Msomi.

President Ramaphosa mentioned: “We have shed a cultural stalwart whose creativity gave depth, color and lyricism to South Africa’s dramatic and complex background.

“When Welcome Msomi was extremely gifted as an specific, he dedicated his vitality, time and methods to the enhancement of new generations of performers who would celebrate and showcase our nation’s cultural variety.

“This investment in the future of our cultural communities is Welcome Msomi’s legitimate legacy, just one that will assure that his inspiration lives on in his bodily absence.”

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Unique – 09:20

Veteran playwright Welcome Msomi, seventy six, dies

The Division of Sport, Arts and Culture verified in a statement to the media on Saturday evening that veteran playwright Welcome Msomi has died.

He was seventy six a long time outdated. 

According to the statement Msomi “handed absent soon after a short disease”. Dispatch reported in 2019 that Msomi suffered a stroke.

The theatre icon was because of to be sentenced in November last soon after yr soon after currently being discovered responsible of theft and fraud for thieving R8m from the Living Legends Legacy Programme believe in account (LLLP) but the situation was postponed till February 2020 because of to his ailing health and fitness. 

The SABC experiences that the situation was postponed once again in February because of to Msomi’s health and fitness.

“In spite of the unlucky situations that led to his conviction in 2019, Welcome Msomi leaves a formiddable legacy,” the department mentioned in its statement.

“Bab’Msomi wrote his first e-book at the age of fifteen and went on to make his identify in Zulu literature as very well as South African Theatre. He is globally renowned for composing and directing theatre enjoy uMabatha. 

“The enjoy is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and was done all over the entire world in isiZulu. He also labored at the then Radio Bantu, now known as Ukhozi FM, where he wrote and done in plays that had been broadcast on the countrywide radio station.”

The department added: “uBab’Msomi was at the rear of the development of the Zulu dance choreography and over time, designed a cult-like next. A thing he will endlessly be remembered for.”

Tv producer Duma Ndlovu compensated tribute to Msomi expressing: “Welcome was a big tree entire of thoughts who generally required to just take arts and culture to a different level. Always exploring for methods to do better for South African arts and culture. He was a present runner, a dreamer and a visionary.” 

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