Renowned Mozambican actress, producer, and director Hermelinda Simela died while giving birth in hospital.
The 38-year-old woman was being treated for complications caused by childbirth, but her newborn daughter is in good health Several artists in the country have also been shocked by the news of Simela’s death.
Alvim Cossa, a longtime colleague, and a friend told BBC News that the country was mourning a great actress and notable producer, responsible for many successes.
“The country has lost a strong, resilient woman, an exemplary mother, and, above all, an engine of our dreams,” he said “Hermelinda encouraged the people of the theater and created opportunities for the actors to be successful.”
In Mozambique’s capital Maputo, Simela helped found a major theater group She worked across the country at times training other artists.
She also traveled and worked abroad, including in Brazil, the Netherlands, Germany, India, and Spain She won the Best Supporting Actress award at the African Film Academy Awards for her role in Virgin Margarida.
