‘Sarafina!’ original writer Tu Nokwe drops fight to be recognised

Mbongeni Ngema allegedly failed to meet Tu Nokwe's demands after she reached out to him to discuss how she can be acknowledges as the original writer.

Oct 7, 2022 - 17:55
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‘Sarafina!’ original writer Tu Nokwe drops fight to be recognised

The alleged original creator and writer of Sarafina! Tu Nokwe has decided to end her fight to be credited as the original creator and writer of Sarafina!.

Nokwe told City Press on Wednesday 5 October that she approached Mbongeni Ngema this year to allow him the chance to acknowledge her- and formalise how much she is owed. She says she wanted him to note how much she is owed after all these years and did not ask that she be paid what is due to her at once.

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“He was cooperating, and he asked me to send him a WhatsApp message. I got an intellectual property lawyer to advise, and we were all on the same page.,” Nokwe explained.

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MBONGENI REFUSED TO TALK

Nokwe explained to the publication that Ngema told her to give him a week because he was in a hospital. She said she then found out they have the same Intellectual property lawyer.

Their lawyer then told her that he was going to arrange a round table discussion with her, Mbongeni and some publishers.

“While we were waiting for a date for the round table and after he spoke to Mbongeni, he never came back to me. So, what that meant for me was that he refused,”

Nokwe recounted.

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The actress said she was coming from a place of humility when he to Ngema.

“But you can’t change the truth no matter how hard you try. I forgave him a long time ago, but it is good to acknowledge when you are wrong so that you can fix things.”  

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NOKWE ON HOW SHE WROTE THE CHARACTERS

Nokwe said she remembers vividly how she wrote the Sarafina! characters.

“Whoopi Goldberg’s character, the teacher, was modelled after me, Phumzile, and how we both think. Then Leleti’s character was also built from the children I used to work with.”

Nokwe concluded by telling the publication that she wanted this matter to be settled while they were both still alive.

“I don’t want us to take this to the afterlife.”

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