The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
COMEDIAN and musician Madlela recently stirred Derick Sipho Majaivana’s ire with his comical video posted on YouTube requesting the return of his legendary musician father Lovemore Majaivana.
In the four-minute-long skit #bringbackMajaivana, #wozamdala, where Madlela is in South Africa, he seeks Majaivana’s phone number from various people in America in a bid to appeal to Majaivana to come out of his self-imposed musical exile.
Comically in the skit he happens to speak to US- based Thomas Mapfumo, who tells him that he knows where Majaivana is.
He tells Madlela in the phone call that he saw Majaivana carrying a bucket of water, which then surprises Madlela and inspires him even more to get him out of exile.
“. . . Ahhh ibucket lamanzi, ubesenzani lebucket lamanzi, nkosi yami. Manje akabuye lapha bayamdinga . . . (What was he doing carrying a water bucket? He should come back people are looking for him . . . ,” he says before poking fun at Mapfumo, where he asks him if he still smoked “mbanje”.
“Manje wena ubuya nini la . . . ulamanga uligwala bayakudabula imbambo lezo ngumdala lowana, hanti wena wadla phansi, wadla bayi bayi. Kodwa imbanje usabhema wena mdala . . . (When are you coming . . . you’re lying you are a coward, that man will break your ribs, you know you ran away. But do you still smoke marijuana),”he says before bidding him goodbye and hanging up.
Derick then posted the video of the skit on Facebook, captioning it usihloniphe (respect us). He then wrote a Ndebele saying on the comments section: “Yibumbulu lobo vele angitshayi inja ngifihla umphini. (Meaning he will not mince his words and will say it as it is).”
Thereafter his friends and fans comment on the video, where they tell him that it is just comedy and it was just harmless fun.
Ironically Madlela posts a comment too on the post, where he comically blasts Derick and tells him that he has no regard for him but his father.
“Ungazo nsuzela mina wena ahhhhhhh . . . mina angikhulumi labantwana ngikhuluma labantu abadala oMajee amakhehla esizwe labo Mapfumo . . . wena ahhh hambo lala leee (Don’t disrespect me, I don’t talk to children, I talk to adults, the likes of Majee and Mapfumo . . . you go off and sleep far away),” he said.
Madlela (Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu) spoke to Sunday Life about the video, where he explained it was just comical relief meant to put smiles on people.
“If he (Derick) was offended, I have no doubt that Madlela will not apologise but on his behalf and myself I apologise,” he said.
Bashimane plays the role of a Nkayi-born man (Madlela) who has no regard for other people and is bent on his own convictions.
Madlela is an eccentric and shrewd character whom anyone would “love to hate”.
The axe-wielding Madlela was brought to life sometime in 2014, after the release of his first movie — Madlela — Skhobokhobo Power.
In April last year he released a rhumba track called Ngamnanka through the comical Madlela. The track has become a hit among many Zimbabweans, with it naturally becoming an anthem in kombis and kids’ parties.
“The song was released in April last year in South Africa. It tells a typical story of a rural set up where a man (Madlela) leaves his rural area in search of a job in the city (Bulawayo). He leaves his wife, with the hope of returning with savings to better their lives.
“However, things take a comical, dramatic twist when he learns, upon his arrival that his wife eloped with another man — SaMaMo. Filled with rage he tracks SaMaMo to beat him up for stealing his wife,” said Madlela.
He said he was focusing on holding more shows in Zimbabwe this year as he sought to nurture local talent.
“There will be more musical and comical shows this year, as we want to quench our fans’ thirst. Also I am happy to announce that people can watch their favourite character on ZBC-TV, as the show recently aired last Thursday. It will be screened every Thursday at 10.30pm. This is a full season with 13 episodes and we are working on shooting Season Two in Sikhobokhobo,” he said.
@peterkmatika
