(ACT Trustees David
Dennis & Eugenie Drakes with Nomhle Nkonyeni at the Arts & Culture Trust
Awards, on February 22, 2019. Image courtesy of ACT/John Hogg)
Nomhle Nkonyeni, who stood up against
apartheid, using her craft of acting as a tool to speak against the regime
passed away at 77 years-old after a prolific 58-year career.
The Arts & Culture Trust joins the
Nkonyeni family, members and beneficiaries of the Nomhle Nkonyeni Legacy
Foundation and the South African arts and culture fraternity in mourning the
passing of actress and educator Nomhle Nkonyeni on July 10, 2019. Ms Nkonyeni leaves
an indelible legacy with her work on screen, stage and in developing young
thespians.
Born and raised in New Brighton, Port
Elizabeth Ms Nkonyeni began her 58-year career at 19 when she played Antigone
in the Greek play of the same name. A major turning point in her career came
when she was cast as the lead in the Cape Performing Arts Board (Capab) theatre’s
1981 staging of Die Swerfjare van Poppie
Nongena which was based on Elsa
Joubert’s novel Poppie Nongena. She
appeared in countless roles on stage, in television series and in local and
international films since, including most recently on eTV soap opera Scandal! where she played the character
Lulama Langa.
During apartheid, Ms. Nkonyeni was known
for her work in theatre which was staged in opposition to the regime of the
time This type of work is often referred to as protest theatre and is known for
portraying the hardships faced by Black South Africans. However, her use of art
as a tool for portraying opposition to the country’s leadership had not ended
with the advent of democracy.
At the 2019 Arts & Culture Trust (ACT)
Awards, where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Theatre, Ms
Nkonyeni said “Somebody in 1994 said ‘No more protest theatre.’ I said ‘If the
present government treats us like the boers treated us, the fight goes on, the
struggle goes on.’” At 77 years-old, she cited divine inspiration to continue
her work. “I cannot just shut up and pretend that things are not happening.
Utixo mna undiphe amandla (God gave me the power) to talk on stage, to use my
art to talk to those who don’t want to listen.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa awarded Ms.
Nkonyeni with the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver in July.
The youth with whom she worked at Port
Elizabeth’s Nomhle Nkonyeni Legacy Foundation (NNLF) were a source of physical
and creative energy for her. “Roping yourself with the youngsters (sic), they
do something great for you, they rejuvenate you. You don’t think like a 77
year-old,” she said at the awards ceremony held in February.
Through the NNLF, which she ran from the
garage of her home, Ms Nkonyeni sought to leave a legacy which would outlive
her. “To me, leaving a legacy behind is to see a Nomhle Nkonyeni of the future
getting these Lifetime Achievement (Awards). God gave me these talents,” she
said “not to put it under my armpit but to share it mostly with the youth. I
would like to see that. My objective is to develop talent in the Eastern Cape.”
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