Swazi-born actress Sebenta Mhlanga, who is now starring in the South African soap ‘Isitha-The Enemy,’ has stated that there is a demand for true siSwati-speaking performers on SA television. The actor, who has worked on various plays, TV shows, and modeling assignments, and is now on eTV’s soap, mentioned how he was introduced to places in neighboring SA that were searching for siSwati-speaking performers. Isitha: The Enemy is a South African telenovela that airs on eTV every day at 9:30 p.m., moving from BET Africa.
The plot is set in Vosloorus, on Johannesburg’s East Rand, and follows the life of Gabriel (Bohang Moeko), who was born into a dysfunctional family and constantly searches within himself for strength to fight against the powerful, evil matriarch, Mother Mary, who will stop at nothing to serve her own needs. An interview was held with the actor after he was spotted alongside local comic Ghedlembane on the television show recently. Sebenta Mhlanga stated that actors from Swaziland had the skills, are being recognized, and are in high demand in neighboring nations; but authenticity is essential.
“What I have seen from working on numerous projects in SA is that they need emaSwati, who speak the language as it was spoken a long time ago. These days, people have switched and moulded the language to their liking, killing its true meaning and making it hard for foreign agents and producers to want actors who speak similarly to people in that country, defeating the need for emaSwati,” stressed Mhlanga.
He also urged local young actors and actresses to begin studying and being proud of their language, since there was a demand for it. Many telenovelas and series in South Africa have utilized siSwati as a prominent language, however, it is not the native language spoken in the kingdom. It will be interesting to see if emaSwati heed the advice from the industry professional.
What do you have to say about what the actor said about siSwati speaking on TV in SA? Do you agree with the sentiments herein or do you feel any different? What have you noticed about the use of siSWati on South African television shows? Join the conversation.
Content created and supplied by: GavinMndawe11 (via Opera
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