Veteran actress Mama Nandi Nyembe on female scars

Imbokodo

Her smile is so welcoming that one immediately feels at home  with her and strike up a conversation.

But do not be mistaken, behind that beautiful smile lies scars of hurt, abuse, disappointment and any other pain that might be experienced by any ordinary female South African today.

If you talk about being raped,bearing and raising a child from that horrible and painful experience, mama Nandi who played Nandi Sibiya on Zone 14 has gone through that. She believes by portraying such characters on either a theatre play or on screen she deliver a message that she hopes will help another women seating at home watching the drama, telenovela.

my groupie moment with mama Nandi

At 68 years, and more than four decade in the South African entertainment industry, Mama Nandi can relate to some of the female characters she has portrayed. She says some have either gone through what she has gone through in her own personal life.

"Through those experiences I am able to suggest and come up with ideas to the director about the elements of what I think we should add in a character. If the director is open to my idea then I add it on to make the character more real. A recent example was that of Dolly in the telenovela Isethembiso airing on weekdays on Mzansi Magic.

Mama Nandi on Sticks and Stones. Screengrab from You tube

Yes Dolly is a mother and takes care of her children and all the house chores. But we forget, mothers also have a life. They go for shopping, outings and some are working and even owning a businesses. I don't feel a women should be box to just a house wife and looking after children. Women do more and should be seen on television to be doing more too.We shouldn't be just box in the house as if she doesn't have a life, said Mama Nandi who is so passionate about her craft that recently on Isithunzi she went bald headed playing a character of  Nolwazi an women who had just returned from her home country South Africa from exile in Zimbabwe.

On Isibaya pic Youtube

Oh, yes, she can change her voice too to a skill she mastered doing a children programme but matured it and gave it a bit of  hoarseness on  season season 6 of the Mzansi drama, Isibaya where she plays Gogo Mkhiti.
She is grateful for all the roles she was able to play both on screen and theatre today as in the past South African Black actors were not allowed leading roles in any production.
"If you get cast at all in any film or drama your role will be that of a maid as a female or a gardener if you are a male. If the role needed a black leading character a white person would take that role and they would paint their face black. We were powerless to act then until 24 years ago but I wont say we are totally free as black people in South Africa."

On Roots

It was through her mother, Violet Nomvuselelo Nyembe's unavailability in a 1970s theatre play that bagged her first role in a theatre production. Since then she has never looked back and did both screen and plays. She has portrayed the character of struggle heroine Lillian Ngoyi in Treason and the grandmother  to Kunta Kinte, Yaisa in the American drama series Roots. The film Yesterday, where she plays a role of a sangoma was nominated for the Oscars.

On Isibaya screengrab from youtube

"I don't think the South African government has paid much interest to the arts and craft industry. I thought maybe by now this sector, government would have made effort to invest in the artist and making sure that we have the basic benefits such as medical aid etc. We really need those things. Times are even harder for artists if they don't get jobs or told they are too old to be used as ambassadors,"
If not rapping with his grandchildren or bonding with her daughter who is a sangoma. She is rehearsing for Isithembiso. She is also working on many personal projects that she would rather reveal when they are at an advance stage not now.

Hope you enjoy our chat with Mama Nandi. Please follow us on twitter @ndabenik, facebook Khanyiswa Ndabeni and Khanyiswa2 on Instagram

Soon you will read about Isidingo's new director Motlatsi Mafatshe as well as GP MaOrange aka Israel Matsekezulu both have confirmed to feature in this blog.

Till then hope you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. Drive safe if you travelling anywhere. Till next time
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