Siphiwe Khumalo, a stalwart of South African theatre, has died of a heart attack.
The well-known actor and director, who was songbird Sibongile Khumalo's ex-husband, was an experienced actor, lighting and sound technician, director, coach to drama students in stage management, and venue manager.
He passed away at his Yeoville, Johannesburg, home on Sunday after returning from a visit to a West Rand mall.
"He came back from the mall and said he was feeling tired and lay down on the couch, where he is believed to have had a heart attack," said Lindelwa Mahlabe, a spokesperson for the Windybrow Centre for the Arts, where Khumalo was the production director.
Khumalo, 50, was born in Alexandra but grew up in Soweto. His introduction to the performing arts was in a church, where in 1970 he was called upon to direct a youth presentation of the stage play The Prodigal Son.
He cut his semi-professional teeth in the Workshop 71 production of Unosilimela, written by Credo Mutwa and directed by Robert McLaren.
As a member of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, Khumalo was a contributor in the creation of the productions Randlords and Rotgut, Marabi and Sophiatown, all of which were performed in the 1980s.
His interest in music and musicals saw him direct a number of musicals, including the SAA Sibongile Khumalo Tour in 1996; Echoes of an Era - a retrospective of South African Jazz, at the Market Theatre; and a tribute to Gibson Kente in 1997 at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
He also produced the inaugural Mangaung African Cultural Festival in Bloemfontein in 1997.
In 1998 he directed Love Child, which premiered in Japan, and he was also the production manager for the popular gospel group Joyous Celebration.
Mahlabe said funeral arrangements were still being made and memorial services would be held later in the week.