James Steven Mzilikazi Khumalo was a South African composer and professor born on June 20, 1932, in KwaNgwelu. He held a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand, where he served as a professor of African languages. His first musical composition, “Ma Ngificwa Ukufa”, premiered in 1959. Khumalo arranged “Five African Songs”, a recording of traditional and modern tunes performed by the South African National Symphony Orchestra. In 1986, he composed a choral work for the enthronement of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He composed the cantata uShaka KaSenzangakhona and the first Zulu language opera, Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu, in 2002. Khumalo contributed to the production of the official post-apartheid national anthem of South Africa at the request of President Nelson Mandela. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2015. Khumalo died on June 22, 2021.
