MANDLA MOYO

There are some that are said to have been born under a lucky star or some that are said to have been born with silver spoons in their mouths. All these beliefs have roots in Greek mythology where it is believed that astrology has say in our destinies and that the planets have a say in what happens on planet earth.

If one is a believer in Greek Mythology, then one would be forced to say that Mandla Moyo, an accomplished stage actor, musician and drama lecturer was born under an unlucky star. If one were to take it further one would say even though he was born under an unlucky star, he defied the elements and managed to make a name for himself.

Mandla was born in Matobo, 34 years ago under an unlucky star because he was a victim from childhood. I was amazed during the course of the interview, I held with him to discover that at the tender age of 11 he attempted to commit suicide three times because his siblings were being mistreated by their step mother and that he traveled on foot to Bulawayo with his sisters to find his mother as he could not take the abuse anymore.

“Ngadubeka, ngasengizinikela ( My suffering made me to be committed). I am a survivor and victim of Gukurahundi the Matebeleland Geocide because at the age of 11, I was living at Balagwe camp and the fifth brigade used to send me on numerous errands.I saw and witnessed many horrific things at a tender age. My experiences at Balagwe camp made me to be very political and this made me to be bad tempered. When I came to Amakhosi I used to compose angry and bitter political songs whenever I was asked to compose a song and Amakhosi Director, Cont Mhlanga softened the politics in me and took out the anger and bad temper off me “ said Moyo.

Arts has aided to build Mandla’s self esteem as he says that at the age of 8 he was a donkey rustler because he wanted to be popular. He says that in form 2 he was demoted from being a prefect because he was misbehaving at school because of the harassment he was getting at home. “ When I was young I hoped to be a pilot but could not because my parents divorced and hence I was mistreated at home. I however believe it could have been the hand of God as he desired me to be an artist and that is the reason that I was healed of Tuberculosis during a sermon at  the Word of Life church. Moyo also believes that the stage also helps him to control his temper as he can express himself through it.

“MaNyathi do you know that I am the best monkey in the world “, said Moyo.  We have seen accomplished actors but hearing one claiming to be the best monkey in the world is astonishing.

“ I am the best monkey in the world because I trained in narrative theatre in Capetown under the director Nicholas Ellenborg. Moyo joined Theatre for Africa, which specialized in environmental theatre in 1996 after his graduation from Amakhosi Performing Arts Workshop.

“ I had problems in Capetown because I could not speak English and I ended up taking English articulation classes as people were laughing at me “, said Moyo.

Moyo’s stint with Theatre for Africa paid off because he got a lot of training in theatre. “ I lived in the bush in Namibia with the San so as to study animal movements and sounds for a play called Gardens of Eden. The play was about the selling of ivory in Africa. The play toured the world and it won an award at the Edinburg festival in Scotland.

 After his stint with theatre for Africa, he came back to Amakhosi where he collaborated with Zenzo Nyathi and Willing Mhlanga to stage a production called Once Upon A Time which toured the region.

The year 2000 saw him going to Chiredzi to work with Malilangwe Trust where he formed Hluvuko Theatre group. The group toured South Africa with a play called A Light In The Night of President Khaya Africa, which was directed by Nicholas Ellenbogen.

In 2003 he came back to Amakhosi where he started acting in the soap Amakorokoza as a gang member of the violent Bulldogs.

In Zimbabwe he has perfomed in numerous stage productions such as Madmen and Fools and also in Pregnant With Emotions by Raisedon Baya.

The multi- talented Mandla Moyo is also a painter and he showed me the paintings that he had done on his way back from Harare where he had gone to perform in several plays. “ I trained at Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre and the paint I am using I bought in Europe in 1996 for 11 pounds. You can be surprised that I sewed most of the traditional outfits at Amakhosi, said Moyo.

True to his word, Moyo is a talented artist who also composes music as he composed music in the soundtrack for the play Dabulap written by Cont Mhlanga and music for the play Gardens of Eden. Mandla Moyo is also credited with forming the first ever resident Imbube group at Amakhosi which is called Lothu Lothu.

For a man who has played Nelson Mandela, and even performed for him at the 1997 Wildlife Congress and traveled to 16 countries, he has a simple wish. He desires to play the keyboard, act in a big screen movie and do an arts management course so that he becomes an informed artist.

Moyo is married and he has two children.