Cont Mhlanga

{{Short description|Zimbabwean playwright and actor (died 2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Cont Mhlanga | birth_name = Cont Mdladla Mhlanga | birth_date = 1957/1958 | death_date = 1 August 2022 | occupation = playwright, actor, and theatre director | notable_works = The Good President }}

'''Cont Mdladla Mhlanga''' (1957/1958 – 1 August 2022)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zimlive.com/2022/08/renowned-culture-activist-and-playwright-cont-mhlanga-dies/|title=Renowned culture activist and playwright Cont Mhlanga dies|date=1 August 2022|work=Zimbabwe News Now |access-date=2 August 2022}}</ref> was a Zimbabwean playwright, actor, and theatre director.<ref>{{Cite book| last = Riemenschneider| first = Dieter| authorlink =|author2=Frank Schulze-Engler| title = African literatures in the eighties| publisher = Rodopi| year = 1993| location =| pages = 113| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=muARApGW2CQC| doi =| id =| isbn = 9051835183}}</ref> He was also the founder and head of the Amakhosi Theatre Productions company, formed in 1982.<ref>{{Cite book| last = Rubin| first = Don| authorlink =| title = The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: Africa| publisher = Taylor & Francis| year = 1997| pages = 365| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TIgS_Eij8SEC| isbn =0415059313 }} </ref><ref name="The Guardian 12-05-09">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/may/12/david-smith-cont-mhlanga| title= Letter from Africa: 'When you tell a joke in the street, that is political'| publisher=The Guardian| date=12 May 2009 | location=London | first=David | last=Smith | accessdate=30 April 2010}}</ref>

Mhlanga was a critic of the government of Robert Mugabe, and was arrested often for public expressions of his views. He, alongside Burmese satirist Zarganar and City of Rhyme – a 14-strong hip-hop group from northern Brazil, whose lyrics condemn violence<ref name="City of Rhyme">{{cite web | url=http://www.shinealight.org/CityOfRhyme.html | title=Shine-A-Light – City of Rhyme | access-date=14 September 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928223428/http://www.shinealight.org/CityOfRhyme.html | archive-date=28 September 2009 | url-status=dead }}</ref> – were winners of the inaugural Freedom to Create Prize in 2008.<ref name="The Guardian 27-11-08">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/nov/27/theatre-awards-artventure-mhlanga-zarganar| title= Mhlanga and Zarganar win arts awards for human rights| publisher=The Guardian|date=27 November 2008 | location=London | accessdate=30 April 2010 | first=Nosheen | last=Iqbal}}</ref><ref name="BBC News 26-11-2008">{{ cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/7751151.stm | title= Zimbabwe writer Mhalanga honoured | publisher=BBC News | date=26 November 2008 }}</ref>

==Works== ===Written=== * ''The Good President'' * ''The End'' * ''Vikela'' * ''Sinjalo'' * ''Children On Fire'' * ''Games and Bombs'' * ''The Members''

===Directed=== * ''Bamqgibela Ephila'' * ''Omunye Umngcwabo''

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.amakhosi.org/ AmaKhosi] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081204035827/http://www.voicesfromzimbabwe.com/ Voices from Zimbabwe] *{{IMDb name|0583898}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mhlanga, Cont}} Category:1950s births Category:2022 deaths Category:Year of birth missing Category:Zimbabwean male film actors Category:Zimbabwean dramatists and playwrights Category:20th-century Zimbabwean male actors Category:Northern Ndebele people Category:Zimbabwean male actors