Umongikazi was first performed at the Donaldson Orlando Community Centre Soweto, in 1983 and featured Gcina Mhlophe, Fumane Kokome, Bennette Tlouana and Maishe Maponya. It later opened at The Market Theatre for three weeks and, immediately thereafter, played to packed houses at Glynn Thomas (Baragwanath Hospital) with the same cast. At the end of the third performance at Glynn Thomas, the writer was ordered to go to Protea Police Station for ‘a friendly chat’ (sic). There he was interrogated by the Security Police.

The play later toured Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, originally without the two leading performers, Gcina Mhlophe and Maishe Maponya who were refused passports, ‘for security reasons’.

Later performances in South Africa featured Thoko Ntshinga, Nomhle Tokwe, Oupa Mthimkulu and Maishe Maponya

Cast

FEZILE … early thirties.

NYAMEZO … A nurse. Twenty-eight years old. Fezile's wife.

MARIA… A nurse. In her mid-thirties.

ACTOR FOUR … Portrays several characters indicated in the text.

MAHLALELA, DR LUMUMBA, BLACK DOCTOR, MALE NURSE, LOCAL SECURITY are played by the actor who plays FEZILE.

PAEDIATRICIAN, PATIENTS (Sc 6), FIRST NURSE (Sc 6), SECOND NURSE (Sc 6); THIRD NURSE (Sc 6) are played by the actress who plays NYAMEZO.

OLD WOMAN, NURSE (Sc 1), NURSE (Sc 4), MATRON, THEATRE MATRON, NURSE (Sc 5), MAGOGO, THIRD NURSE (Sc 7) are played by the actress who plays MARIA.

WHITE DOCTOR, DR OWEN, PREGNANT WOMAN, QUEUE MARSHALL, PHARMACIST, SECOND MALE NURSE, POLICE OFFICIAL are portrayed by ACTOR FOUR.

SETTING: Stage right takes only a third of the stage and serves as FEZILE's home. It is sometimes used as an exit area from stage left. Stage left takes two-thirds of the whole stage as the Hospital. When action moves from one stage to the other the Transition is indicated by a lighting change. Some scenes and episodes are flashbacks; these all take place in the Hospital.

PROPS AND COSTUMES: Two garden chairs and a small round table for stage right. A normal size table and a chair for stage left. A typical hospital screen, four chairs.