Church, Beaches are open.. Have a Merry one

Hellow everyone, ke summer boss mo South Africa.

This is the time where everyone who is still in the office gets irritated because e-mails communication comes back with an automatical seasonal greetings.

By this time, the receiver or the person whom the message is meant for is either on holiday or if you are a journalist in the newsroom your e-mail will be read next year and by then, the story will be long over. When I worked in the coast. I used to love this time of the season, I never took leave in December No! Not me, I was out there, writing about girls wearing bekinis at Kings Beach, fun things to do at Hobbie Beach or that exciting opening of the Summer season at Summerstrand Beach. I love December and all the fun stuff that comes with the festive season. Hence, when I received an invitation to attend King of Gomara's birthday party I really didn't hesitate.

The old man, the God father of many and government of the oldest township in South Africa was on another level this year. This whole past weekend was his weekend and as always, he had everyone. I mean the smallest child in Alexandra Township to the his age mates feel that ekse, die groot maan is baie groot. This year, his day kicked off at his centre, the Phuthaditjhaba Care of the Aged at 17th Avenue Alexandra. This is where, he has displayed and documented all his work through out the decades. Earning a recognition by the Sowetan, Old Mutual and SABC ONE as the community builder of the decade.

Through working with a local church, God Never Fails(GNF) headed by Bishop Nhlanhla David Nhlapo.

He has flown the grannies from the township to a four day stay in Cape Town where they also visited the famous Robben Island. While the primary school kids had their first experience of riding a helicopter.

An experience that was made possible by the church in partnership with the old man. Not to mention the houses build for the poor in the past 22 years GNF had been in the area working with Bab'Linda. So this past weekend, he pulled all the stops

Toyota SA was amongst the sponsors who came to donate goodies so that Bab'Linda who was now the father Christmas can distribute to the kids of the township.

For the three days, the grannies travelling from all corners of the township also recieved their food packs Together with Mc Donald

donated soccer balls and party packs for the kids. Both the pre- event and the main event were MCed by Alex FM and South African Traditional Music Achievements Awards (SATMA) nomineem Musa Mabika.

But the draw card was the East London cheifs, chief Salakuphatwa and wife Xolelwa, Chief Mtoto and Nobahle as well as Chief Mshweshwe who came in their traditinal regalia to celebrate with the man.

I remember when he invited my son and I to his party three years ago, I was surprised and shocked that at his age, 78 years he was still active and helping out with the grannies food distribution. According to him, her mother inspired him to start this after the burial of a local Gogo, Mashabalala in 1967. There is no way of telling an Alexandra Township story without roping or mentioning this man. Over the decades, the township has produced some of the finest who are served or serving the country on national level. Umbhaqanga king, Mahlathini and the Mahotela Queens had their taste of fame in this township. I remember back when I was a kid, Brenda Fassie and the Soul Brothers were said to be amongst the people who came to perform in Kwa Nobuhle Hostel and made it big then. Bab'Twala himself has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Operah Winfrey,Bill Clinton, King Zwelithini, Queen Elizabeth to mention just a few.

Africans do we still have Ubuntu?

FEW years ago, just before the Covid 19 lockdown. I had the pleasure of meeting up and be part of a small acting workshop group that met every Sunday afternoon at the workers museum in off Mary Fitzgerald Square down town Johannesburg. Back then, I was preparing and focusing on going full time on my art.

By then, I had done everything that I thought would please amongst others, my father who was against the idea of me becoming a full time artist and making a living out of it as my childhood dream. I had ticked all the boxes to prove not only to the public but to myself that I was educated enough to make and maintain myself through art.

Through working as a domestic worker, security guard and later print journalist. I had earned all the experiences needed to manage, budget and use my money wisely. So financial savy that, when I started my beads business, I had no car instalment as the Toyota Etios 2012 model payment was long over even before I purchased my second property.

My surburb flat allocated at the back of the fluent surbub of Melrose Arch, a five or ten minutes drive to Sandton Mall and a walking distance to Alexandra Township together with my son were the only huge responsibility I had then. I was so prepared for the future that even in my wardropethrough out the years,had special clothes for that audition job for a TV presenter/ talk show hosts or a role of a classy businesswoman on the biggest South African Soap Opera, Generation the Legacy.

I could speak at least seven South African languages then and the magazine and TV had trained me enough on what to expect. So me being with this crew on a Sunday was a step closer to my dream world.

One of the sister, I met at Melrose Arch Camphor Cream advert auditions told me about these classes which were offered for free for any inspiring actor. But the lady forgot to tell me that the person giving them was a Nigerian national.

I'm not sure if she had kept that information from me deliberately, knowing how I will act towards the information. The only part I got was that, he was the director of of Isibaya, a popular drama series that was airing on Mzansi Magic daily,it was quite big on our telies then. His name he did tell me, but out of arrogancy, I thought he was either Vhenda or xhitsonga or Pedi.

So there I was in the workers museum every Sunday amongst other inspiring actors some who had done a bit of TV work while others were still hustling to get in.

The guy was so nice. Coming to his work shops made me forget my troubles with the big Sunday national newspaper then. Lets just say, it had some attachement issues and I was just enough with being bullied for a salary. The bullying had made the passion for writing and reporting on national stories on print vanished. Instead, I was looking at the other means of telling and documenting our African stories. Coming to the acting workshop though was a therapy, it reminded me of the 90s British sitcom, Mind your language which aired on SABC1 but this was an African version of it. The Mr Brown was this Nigerian guy, with students from all over the township of Johannesburg. He spoke English, his students could hear him but others find it very hard to express themselves in the language. As a reader, you need to understand how apartheid affected especially the black men's education system in order to know and enjoy how these young actors reacted. But the nicest thing, the master was patient, no one had wrong answers in the class. Some answers were right but not for use in the current moment, they were prophetic answers. His work ethic made me forget one of my my life rule ie....Stay as far away from Nigerians as possible especially when have no back up. Sorry Nigeria but in South Africa, Nijas are notorious for many things ie abduction of girls and forcing them into prostitution. As a journalist, one of the most inhumane brutal stories ive ever done was that of a small body of a teenage girl thrown out of the fourth floor building in Central Port Elizabeth. The three Nigerian men who were well built and more masculine than her were trying to force her to take drugs. This was a high school girl from New Brighton, a member of an Apostolic church and the only child her mother had. Nor will I ever forget the humiliation, dissappointment and betrayal of Nolubabalo "Babsie"Nobanda from Grahamstown. She was well educated, came from a well off family what she did didn't add up with her character according to what I picked up from relatives and friends. But like all stories, there was a Nigerian man behind her betrayal. I interviewed her family soon after her arrest and dumped the SA drug mule in Thailand. Her story read like something in the movie and yes, there was a Nigerian brother played with her innocense. He didn't care of the pain, humiliation he had caused to not only the family but the community and South Africa at large. Trust was already broken even if you met a nice one there was always that...."But you are Nigerian my friend, I dont trust you" Anyway, the guy heading the workshop was generally nice had his coworkers from the drama coming in to talk to us or help him out. I remember one of the event he took us to Sandton convention centre to present our short theatre play on xenophobic, it was so nice I even twitted about it,

Khanyiswa Ndabeni🇿🇦 (@ndabenik) posted at 9:14 am on Sun, Nov 17, 2019: Nigerian artist, @iam_kcee and I were preaching the same message at the @RiseupNija an event aimed at uniting Africans and saying no to Xenophobia https://t.co/eS8nlVdJKk

I was sold to the whole Idea, with little knowledge of what the root course of the so called xenophobic attacks.

But I was all over preaching no xenophobic and even gunned an interview with NijaTV. Telling the whole continent and the world how we needed to stop the hate and start loving each other.

Lets just say, ugal was already running with the vision with no direction. But the little information from the stiries i picked up and read while doing full time print journalism. To be quite honest, it is only now when I think of it.... Were South Africans really xenophobic or were bullied by our own African brothers out of everything they had. No one dared to really listen to the voice of SA then, it is only now through drips and drabs that we seeing the real cause.

Bullies have been at it and got away with it for a long time while even the good guys were painted with the same brush. As Africans, what happened to our communal set up. Why would a fellow country men keep quiet when another is doing wrong as this affects the image of everyone from that country. Black leaders, do they stop to lead and guide their people once their outside their homestead? Im saying this because I've seen for myself that some of the incidents could have been avoided had a leader rose up and told their people to stop it.

I am a born story teller...Thank you Mr Richard H Nosworthy and WGSA

I am a born South African story teller. Even if I am not paid or work in a commercial set up, I will tell stories not even aware that what comes out of my mouth is attention grabbing to slow the production of any group work. Whether people believe the stories I tell to be true or not. I have really outgrown that stage of trying hard to convince them. But I do still trying hard almost everyday to hone my skill. But from when I was young, story telling has been around me and has been the only or major way to get my attention or teach me something. Whether these came in a form of a family evening gathering under tree and fire wood down in Engxongweni in Port St John's Ceskei in the early 80s. Or watching and imititating the Chinese movies starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and other 90s Chinese movie with the line "You killed my mother and father, now I've come to kill you" at the Port Elizabeth township bioscope. Or better yet, spending my evening at my aunt's house in 3rd Avenue Alexandra Township watching and learning all kinds of story telling platforms from action movies, drama, comedy, soapies, romantic to reading different genre of books and ended up being a collector of amongst other favourite authors then, Sydney Sheldon an American screenwriter. Inspired by him, especially his novel Rage of Angels- a novel released in the 80s about a female lawyer who beds both powerful politicians and dangerous gangsters- I wanted to study law as it is said story tellers are best lawyers in the world...LOL!*Winks*. But anyway, driven by my passion to try other platforms of story telling that would open doors for me for screenwriting or writing. I saw myself in Mafatsane Hall, Evaton,South Africa. Attending a Scriptwriters workshop hosted by Writers Guild South Africa( WGSA) with the late Mr Richard H Nosworthy the main tutor. The week long free event was organised to benefit writers from the previously disadvantaged community. That is creative writers in South African who cannot either afford training or access to information about the industry due to their financial background. The guilt also protect the writers rights as many of them in South Africa are freelancers and do not get royalties on work repeated on other platforms of media in the African continent. The guilt was established in 2009 and aims to train more local writers in their South African vernacular language and also helps with their business education planning. They work with International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG) and American Guilt and had been instrumental in getting writers included in the South African Film and Television Awards. Mr Nosworthy was a very paient man as he encourages most of us to believe in ourselves. Knowing that I was a writer for print, he wanted me to know that the very same words written must know be acted out on stage, tv, through music, film or animitation. "The must be a reason why you telling the story," his words as I battled to polished my short film, Holly Gangsters. The film was a test of our knowldge gained from the workshop and if selected stood a chance to be entered in the Muse awards with the overall winner announced at the SAFTAs of that year, 2019. Anyway,I think due to Covid19 WGSA is still to issue me with the certificate and results of the film. Being a passionate writers of what is now going on in South African churches. Especially after my mother's death. The film, Holly Gangsters focused on a family of a woman seeking justice after a man of "God" and congregants conned community members and preyed on those desperate for long term illness healing. Based on my experience and a series of articles that I have written while with main stream media. Mr Nosworthy helped bring the emotions of trust and disgust as I reveal how the grieving family is expected to pay transportation and accommodation for one of their leaders to conduct the service. The family was also not getting anything from the R10 000 funeral burial plan taken by the deceased in the church. Even though, she had constantly paid monthly fees for years. Close members of the family revealed how in the last days the church discouraged her from taking her medication and instead should rely on the water and salt the church was offering for healing.

Stainglass Ifalakhe must return on our screen

I am a South African, but sometimes. I do not understand why South Africans are slow to act sometimes. Especially on the things they love to watch on their television screens. For example, a just a few years ago.The country was treated to the most outstanding 13 episode TV drama, Ifalakhe on Mzansi Magic. The drama had twitter buzzing, crashed facebook pages and walls and had everyone glued on their TV screens that October. Not only to watch the premier of the drama but me as I made my debut as an extra actor.

Yessss!!!! baby, I wasn't gonna make my television appearance a secrete, no matter how small some people thought it was, to me this was a huge step. You can only campare it to your 1st birthday party if you are a milestone celebrator like me. So everyone who knew me, was glued on the screen from the first day waiting for my appearance. I'm talking national newspaper journalists and editors ie your Sunday Times, Sowetan, Business Day,City Press etc. Everybody who knew me back in Port Elizabeth, Alexandra Township, Alberton, Bracken Downs, Soweto knew about my screen debut.

I was not responsible for their expactations though, but this was big to me and worth going all out on self PR. If you wondering what the buzz of the story line was led me fill you up from the press release of Mzansi magic website. Ifalakhe is the story of the powerful Okuhle tribe who wage war against the Khanya people killing their women and children. What makes the situation even more complex is that Khombindlela, the Okuhle king, finds his tribe on the brink of suffering harsh repercussions.

It is true, Ifalakhe was jaw dropping, never seen before story of raging kingdoms, power-hungry kings and their deceptive kin. The spectacular series ws set to enthrall viewers as a dramatic succession of events ensues due to an epic clash between two formidable nations. Ifalakhe season one was created by Stained Glass Productions the story of the powerful Okuhle tribe who wage war against the Khanya people who have been raiding their cattle and killing their women and children. What makes the situation even more complex is that Khombindlela, the Okuhle king, finds his tribe on the brink of suffering harsh repercussions from a prophecy that hangs over his head. This prophecy not only threatens his lineage of the rule of his true heir but also gives him an unnerving task of ensuring it does not come to fruition – heavy indeed is the head that wears the crown!

“The series was set in pre-colonial Southern Africa, which adds a rich texture to the story and makes for, what we feel, is brilliant television,” says Mmamitse Thibedi, Director from production house, Stained Glass. “We’ve worked hard to create an intricate, intriguing plot that highlights the adverse effect of multiple twisted agendas and manipulation of power from the kings themselves and also from characters such as the king’s wives – who have their own selfish ambitions,” she adds.

Starring Bheki Sibiya, Bheki Ngcobo, Chris Radebe and Sthandwa Nzuza the cast of this 13-part drama series focused on ensuring that the authenticity of all the characters is preserved and that the narrative of the era rings true. So that's what the story was about, the main actors were there but we as the extrass were there too. From the day we were on set, we became part of the series, we took pictures to be used later when the drama is on air. So we can have prove that we too were on set.

Truth be told, we were the diamonds that came in small packages. People were used to the main actors and every night they were curious to see us... the no body's who were also in the set and contributed in making the drama alive.

I mean, I had no TV from the day I auditioned for the show until the last episode. But every Sunday, there was a reminder on almost all my socials about the show so that it can generate the necessary or needed viewership. I think everybody assumed from the posts that I had a big tv role. I mean, I was coming from a national newspaper, The Sunday Times so they didn't know you start small in other areas. I've always wanted to try acting since primary. But I had to work on my plan B and C of life first before venturing into art. Reading from past stories and experiences of other South African artists, I had to invest in myself first. Get a drivers license, other qualifications, buy a property and a car, live a normal life before you can take on TV or any public role.

Being an extra on Ifalakhe came at a right time, I was ready knowing how the journalists and everybody will react during and after. Hence I think Stainglass should have another season, yes, isiXhosa sithi into emnandi iyaphindwa guys.

The production company shouldn't leave its viewers hanging, let alone its actors especially its extra special actors. We want Ifalakhe the return baba.

Bracken High will get its R750 000 netball court....Vumani Bo!!

VUMANI BOOOO!!!!

As the ancestor of Bracken High class of 2000. I want to prophecy.... So,can I get an Amen!!! From the readers of this blog. Those who are Christians and those who are not....Just say, Aaaamen!!!! Or better yet, can we do this the African style way....I say, Vumani Bo!!!

Can all those who believe that the ancestors of South Africa can make things happen, say Siyavuma. I say, Vumani Boo!!! Well my fellow readers, a couple of months ago. My son and I visited Bracken High school... Vumani Bo!!! On our visit, we met a young white gentleman by the name of of Nick Nunes.... Vumani Bo!!! Nick is the founder of Go Alumni. This is an online platform that is set up to link past and present learners of the school based in Alberton Area, Gauteng South Africa....Vumani Bo!!!

This gentleman, who also hails in the Alberton area, told us of his plans to revive the now deteriorating Bracken High School structure with the help of past students... Vumani Bo!!! According to annonymous sources of the blog, since I left the school and the province in early 2000s.

Alliens and witches who could not even speak English invaded the area and run down the school...Vumani Booo!!! Former teachers were bullied and left powerless when they tried to confront the alliens and those that remained couldn't really speak or had any one to turn to about the alliens abuse of power....Vumani Booo!!! The Alliens did as they wished, running the beloved school to the ground and only to hand it over to the newly appointed principal, Mr Mochaki in the shadow of its former glory. It is said that MR Mochaki has done many things in the school since his appointment in 2023 this includes the upgrade of the entrance of the school. On top of Mr Nick Nunes to do list is the upgrade of a netball court of the school. On the Go Alumni page, almost R5 000 has been raised and he is calling on all former student to come and help make the netball dream come true. "It doesnt matter how much you contribute, it could be R100 monthly" said Nunes who is planning a reunion for former learners soon. To date, the site has registered about 196 Alumni from the school that was formed in 1981 with the aim of being an institution of excellence, dedicated to producing responsible well rounded and capable citizens like me. I was straight out of Woolhope High in Malabar, Port Elizabeth when I joined the school in 1998.

Having been a grade A students in Mathematics and Science in the Indian school for two years 1996 and 1997. This after running away in Gauteng When a former Afrikaans school, Help My Kaar in Braamfontein,now known as Rand Girls High was forcing me to repeat grade eight also known as standard six even though I had passed. The school then had a programme called standard six bridging class. Clever and intellegent me, who had passed with flying colours at my art primary school...The Open School On the Move in down town Johannesburg.

The same student who attended Saturday classes at PACE senior secondary school in Jabulani Soweto. The girl who went to Christian camps to learn how to swim in order to be prepared for the former white school. As well as assisted by senior mathematics studdents at Youth Alive Ministries Dube Soweto in order to cope at these schools was told in January of the school beginning that I have failed a year that I haven't even started studying. Yes, I stick it out for 12 months thinking the teachers and the department of education had made some mistake or it was a test but when that report came saying I passed standard six bridging class, I went looking for a school that was serious about me doing the next grade. So I said bye bye to Johannesburg and hello Port Elizabeth. Luckily for me, the Indian school welcomed me with open arms like all the other students. Boy, I did excell in both grade nine and ten with mathematics and science my majors. I still had an attitude towards Afrikaans and this together with the change of province, culture, language and everything else affected my grade 11 class. Mr McKelvin who had done my interview to the school had predicted my failure and the everything that might cause it. There was no arguing with him at the end of that year. I had seen for my self where I was battling.

I had not chosen Geography out of interest. I took computer science even when I had no computer at home and couldn't do the home work or understood it. I had an attitude towards Afrikaans and it was a the school's second language so to say, I had failed it made sense to me. I was battling the whole year. I knew now I needed to drop the computer science subject because I couldn't do the homework nor understood it. I changed Geography to Business Economics because I have always been a business person and it made sense to do business than geography. I still understood maths and science and received good results in both subjects plus they were easy for me so keeping them also made sense. All in all, this was a failure that was out of love and correction. The standard six failure for me then was out of hatred and was not explainable, it was dictated and no matter how much I improved my results during that year still the witches had forseen the future and my God was refusing to bow down.

Coming to Bracken high though, the Alumni has registered 196 students to date. Nick want to create a school legacy by helping the school either raise funds or anyone with skills to do anything come and volunteer. There are planned Alumni programmes that will kick off next year. This includes the reunions of all the ancestors from 1981 when the school was established.

Witches bow down TCR has got love

Muli bwanji everybody and welcome to my blog this week. Ok, I know you wondering what the word Muli bwanji means hehehe.

Yha, nhe! If you don't mingle with the people from the other countries in the dark Continent of Africa...I guess you will never know. But luckily for you my wonderful and beautiful readers, your intellegent girl from South Africa has got your back. Yes, I mean the same girl who spent years in Alexandra Township and gooi a Tsotsi Taal daar n daar. Muli bwanji is saying hallo in Chichewa language.This language is spoken mostly in Malawi and a recognised minority in Zambia and Mozambique.

Now, you must be wondering, what does the South African girl, worse one who lives few killometres from the notorious Alexandra Township pics up Chichewa language. I don't blame you readers for your confusion. I mean, the whole world knows my country, especially the ones of my colour "black" in particular as Xenophobic and hate fellow africans. Well,to feed your curiocity.During the COVID19 shut down, with majority of churches shut down etc.

My boy and I had the previllage of spending time at the Tebarnacle Church for all Remanats. Down in the township of Cosmo City, Randburg.

The South African church that I attended in Sandton Johannesburg, Rivers Church was of course closed due to COVID19. During that time, the witches were not sleeping or closed.

They were also so after me and my boy, desperately wanting my property and almost everything I owe including my life. Two powers were at play, they wanted to prove that they were powerful and the The Witchcraft Suppression Act of 1957 was useless.

There I was, saying over my dead body. My Jesus and God the creator of heaven and earth is more powerful than your magic. I mean, he divided the red sea so that Pharoah's men, chariots and army were drawned in the Red Sea. And, every knee does bow down to the name of Jesus, so bring it ON!.

So for the third time in my life, I was on another property and power battle. But, I had God by my son and he guided me to TRC amongst the many churches I visited during the lock down.

The people were so friendly, reminded me of the old South African Christian community that used to visit each other.

The lead pastor, Prophet Jonah is Malawian and my boy and I were invited to eat some of the Malawian dishes after church. We africans have many dishes in common i.e pap, casava leaves. I also learnt about the other different African dishes.

Also through wedding Mcing ( please watch the wedding video above) I learnt the Malawian traditional dance.

Like all women gathering, we were thrilled to hear the topics during the bridal shower. The does and donts in a marriage, Christian marriage to be specific. I met some beautiful sisters from across Africa

Please note some of the pics and videos were supplied by the church. Please follow me on X:@ndabenik Facebook: @Khanyiswa Ndabeni TikTok: @khanyikuhle Instagram:Khanyiswasa