Actress Leleti Khumalo has paid tribute to her ex-husband playwright and musician Mbongeni Ngema. Ngema (68) died on Wednesday in a car accident while returning from a funeral in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

TRIBUTE

Khumalo shared her tribute in a statement this morning. She wrote: "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic death of Mbongeni Ngema. He was a pioneer of protest theatre and has left a rich legacy in the theatre world. At this sad time, we send our profound condolences to his family and in the tradition of our culture, we would like to give them the space to grieve. May the Lord give them strength as they come to terms with this immense loss,". The couple met during the filming of Sarafina! and tied the knot in 1992.

ABUSE CLAIMS

Ngema and Khumalo who do not have children together went their separate ways in 2005 after 14 years of marriage amid claims of abuse. In an interview with Nicky Greenwall, the actress said she was not living a normal life and that she was not allowed to go anywhere she wanted to. "I wanted to do different plays‚ but it wasn't possible. I don't know if I could say he was jealous of me‚ I don't know.' In another interview with Anele Mdoda on Real Talk, she said: "I lived my 14 years of marriage for people. I wanted to please people and I stayed. I woke up one morning and told myself, that's it. I don't know what sparked it. I released a statement that we were divorcing.'The Eastern Cape Department of Health confirmed that Ngema's body has been released to his family yesterday. "An autopsy was conducted and his body was released to the family. The body is now en route to KwaZulu Natal," the department said.