Maskandi Star Mkhathazi Nsibande Loses 11 Dancers in KZN Road Accident: “I’m Asking God Why”
- Mkhathazi Nsibande's 11 dancers died in a head-on collision with a sugarcane truck in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday, 27 September 2026
- The dancers had just performed with the musician at the Isibaya Ingoma Festival in Empangeni before travelling back to KaHlabisa
- Nine of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, leaving Mkhathazi unable to name them and awaiting DNA results
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Source: Getty Images
Maskandi musician Mkhathazi Nsibande is in mourning after 11 of his dancers perished in a horrific road accident in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal, in the early hours of Sunday, 27 September 2026. Their taxi collided head-on with a sugarcane truck and caught fire, killing all 11 performers.
The tragedy unfolded after the group performed at the Isibaya Ingoma Festival, held at Emkhandlwini Sports Ground in Obuka, Empangeni. The event was organised by fellow maskandi musician Sgwebosentambo Khoza, and the dancers had shared the stage with Mkhathazi at around 1 am before beginning their journey back towards KaHlabisa.
Mkhathazi Nsibande speaks after fatal crash
Speaking to Daily Sun, a shattered Mkhathazi said he could not process the scale of the loss. Nine of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, meaning formal identification would require DNA testing. Two have already been identified.
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The musician, known for the popular 2016 track Sobulala uVan Damme with Mroza, admitted he was struggling to find the strength to face the dancers' families.
"I'm asking God why He chose me to face this difficult situation. I don't have the strength for this. It's still difficult to go to their families to mourn with them because I don't know what I will say to them," he said.
Mkhathazi was not in the taxi at the time of the crash. Because the dancers were required to arrive earlier to take part in a traditional dance competition, they travelled separately while he followed later for his performance slot.
A dance group with deep roots in his community
The 11 performers were from Mkhathazi's local area and had their own dance group that competed independently before joining him for his shows. At the Isibaya Ingoma Festival, they first competed against other groups in the traditional dance competition before taking the stage alongside Mkhathazi.
Adding to the devastation, the leader of the dance group was among those who died in the crash. Mkhathazi described how their families had long celebrated seeing them perform with established musicians, with videos of their shared performances often shared back home.
"After this accident, I'm not sure if parents will allow their children to go with us to perform anymore," he said.
Source: Getty Images
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
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