He is married to actress Leleti Khumalo. Leleti who received a 1988 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for Sarafina; as well as starring as the leading role in South Africa's first Oscar-nominated film/move, Yesterday.
In some sectors of South African society, Ngema is considered a racist because of his controversial song, AmaNdiya (about racism that Blacks in KwaZulu-Natal have suffered at the hands of Indians). It was banned in the country soon after it was released in 2002, and even Nelson Mandela had asked Ngema to apologize but Ngema refused.
Safa Saphel' Isizwe
Mbongeni Ngema Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
(Anitsheleni inkokheli zethu zisilamulele) oh hhe ayi kulolundaba
Kuloludaba
O safa saphela isizwe esimnyama
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
(Anitsheleni inkokheli zethu zisilamulele) oh hhe ayi kulolundaba
O safa saphela isizwe esimnyama
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
(Anitsheleni inkokheli zethu zisilamulele) oh hhe ayi kulolundaba
Kuloludaba
O safa saphela isizwe esimnyama
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
(Anitsheleni inkokheli zethu zisilamulele) oh hhe ayi ngiyakhala baba
Kuloludaba
Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh
Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh
(Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh) Oh maye ngiyakhala baba
Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh
Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh
It was always like that in our school (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Oneness imbhumbha (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh) (Oh maye ngiyakhala baba)
Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh
Those days went down bitter and sore (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
With the presence of the army and the police (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Not only in our school yard (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Right inside our class rooms (Kodwa senzeni na) (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Those were the days of anger (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
The days of panic and fear (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
The days when our brothers and sisters (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Disappeared into the police cells (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Others came back (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
And others never came back (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
We were told others hung themselves in the police cells (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
In detention. And other slipped in the showers and died (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
And again we were told others tried to escape (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
By jumping from the top floor of the interrogation room (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
At John Voster square (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Their bones were found scattered (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
In the streets of Johannesburg (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Others never recovered from the electric shocks (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Of the interrogation room up to this day (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
They are lunatics (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Well (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Coming back to school (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
The school was about to close at the end of the year (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
And there was going to be a big function. A farewell (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Concert for those who will be lucky enough to go to varsity (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Parent had been invited, friends had been invited (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
The girlfriends, the boyfriends, the big mamas (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
The shebeen kings and the shebeen queens were there (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
OIrene, obab'Ma Motsamai, oRowenah, oSpoons (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
OBra Cobra ha ha ha (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Different classes were going to present (Wuh wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Different types of entertain. The school was on its feet (Wuh wuh wuh wuh)
Its was moving it was exciting ha ha ha (O safa saphela isizwe esimnyama)
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
(Anitsheleni inkokheli zethu zisilamulele) oh hayi ngiyakhala ma
Kuloludaba
O safa saphela isizwe esimnyama
(O safa isizwe sabantsundu) Awulamule bo ake ulamule eh lamulele
The lyrics to Mbongeni Ngemaโs song Safa Saphela Lisizwe describe the days of apartheid in South Africa, where black people were oppressed and discriminated against by the government and police. The song talks about the pain and suffering that black people went through during those days of anger, panic, and fear. The first verse talks about the sorrowful state of the country, where the nation is black and reflects how they are living in pain and suffering. The lyrics then call on leaders to lead the people and release them from the oppression they are facing.
The second verse describes how the government and police subjected black people, no matter their age, to detention, interrogation, and torture. The verse reflects on how some people never made it home, while others came back, traumatized, and mentally affected from the experiences they endured in detention. The lyrics also state how people were lied to about how others were found hanging in prison cells, while others drowned in the shower, and some fell from the top floor of the interrogation room during escape attempts. The lyrics suggest that these stories were made up to hide the true brutality of the police.
The final verse talks about the hope that the future holds for black people, where they would go on to universities and achieve great heights. The lyrics describe the excitement of the upcoming school concert that would mark the end of the school year, where students would showcase their talents for an audience, including parents and friends. The song ends with a plea from the singer, urging people to rise above the pain and suffering and create a better future for themselves and their children.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@independentcorgiproduction7099
โO safa, saphelโ isizwโ esimnyama
O safa, isizw' esabansundu
Anitshelen' inkokheli zethu
Silamulele, O' kuloludabaโ
"The Black Nation is dying
The African Nation is dying
Tell our African Leaders
Help us, with this problemโ
Hope I helped here with translating the song to anyone who doesn't speak and understand the Zulu language.
@Tribe_of_Levi
Safa Isizwe (The Nation Is Dying)
"O safa, saphel' isizw' esimnyama
O safe isizwe sabantsundu
Anitshelen' inkokheli zethu zisilamulele kuloludaba"
translation
"The black nation is dying
The African nation is dying
Who will lead us to the day of freedom"
@kelseysolomon5981
Safa, saphel' isizw'esimnyama
O safa (o safa) isizwe sabantsundu
eMulamo anitshelen'inkokheli (eLimpopo) zethu zisilamulele
Woh kuloludaba
O Safa, saphel' isizw'esimnyama
O safa (o safa) isizwe sabantsundu
eMulamo anitshelen'inkokheli (eLimpopo) zethu zisilamulele
Woh kuloludaba
O safa, saphel' isizw'esimnyama (safa bo)
O safa (o safa) isizwe sabantsundu
eMulamo anitshelen'inkokheli (eLimpopo) zethu zisilamulele
Woh kuloludaba
Woo Woo woo whooo whoo whoo whooo
Woo Woo (woo woo)
Woo Woo woo whooo whoo whoo whooo
@next_music
DOWNLOAD / STREAM โบ https://orcd.co/sarafina
@independentcorgiproduction7099
โO safa, saphelโ isizwโ esimnyama
O safa, isizw' esabansundu
Anitshelen' inkokheli zethu
Silamulele, O' kuloludabaโ
"The Black Nation is dying
The African Nation is dying
Tell our African Leaders
Help us, with this problemโ
Hope I helped here with translating the song to anyone who doesn't speak and understand the Zulu language.
@ndungi_snr5551
Thankyou
@The_Cruise_Fam
Beautiful!
@emmanuelnanaadu-yeboah7025
great work
@olufemiikuseru8005
I Love the Zulu and Swahili language.. Its spiritual. I draw celestial inspiration from it. Love from a Nigerian in diaspora
@rachelkago7957
Thank you
@jeanenorcosne2962
When the Haitian people listen to this song for the first time, we didnโt understand the lyrics, but we sing and feel all the emotions ๐ค๐ค๐ค. # MamaAfrica
@rykerleycelestin4006
Yes I cry every time
@welliminitnowso
Exactly! We are one people sharing the same ancestral bloodline ๐ฏ๐ฒ