Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
FOR 18 years, Precious Makulumo has been toiling on Zimbabwe’s silver screen, shooting to prominence as swift tongued Ntokozo from the popular 2002 local drama, Amakorokoza.
Makulumo however says she has nothing to show for it except being called a celebrity.
“When I walk the streets of Bulawayo, people call me a celebrity, yet I’m nowhere near the definition of that word. I’ve been in the arts industry for 18 years now but I still go to the bus stop and get into a kombi to work. I do no have a house of my own despite these many years in the arts industry.
“I keep doing it (acting) because of the passion I have, otherwise it’s not a profession to write home about,” said Makhulumo.
Born on April 11, 1968 at Mpilo Central Hospital, Makulumo grew up in Barbourfields suburb and attended Mzilikazi Primary School. She did her secondary at Dominican Convent up to Form Two and completed her high school studies at Thornhill High in Gweru.
After high school, she returned to Bulawayo Polytechnic to study Business Studies. Thereafter, she worked at Meikles Departmental Store in Bulawayo from 1988 to 1995 where she met her husband Cuthbert, who is now self-employed. She also met veteran actress Sarah Mpofu-Sibanda who worked at the store. The two later on became more than friends as they now relate as sisters.
A few years later, Makulumo quit her job at the departmental store opting to stay at home looking after her three sons. This was up to 2002, a year which became the turning point in her life.
Narrating how she ventured into acting, Makulumo said it was never planned. “One day, Sarah and I walked from Fingers Hair Salon to St Columbus to attend a funeral of our friend’s mother. We walked as we wanted to keep fit. While walking, Sarah suggested that we pass by Amakhosi Arts Centre to check on her models who were auditioning for acting roles there.
“As we were looking around, greeting everyone there, Cont Mhlanga came up to me and said ‘this can be the child of Vikintonga’,” narrated Makulumo.
In no time, the ever-pushy Mhlanga, who at that time was a director, had a script for Makulumo. He requested her to recite what was on the paper.
“He said I should read the script and the subtitles and I did so. It was interesting because I was fascinated by watching local soapies such as Studio 263 and my husband liked Vimbai.
“I did everything that Cont told me and Sarah was like, my friend, we’re being auditioned here. I couldn’t believe it. After reciting a couple of times, Cont said he would call me after a week.”
And true to his word, Makulumo said, she received a call requesting her to come to Amakhosi and sign a contract. She did so without telling her husband, something which bothered her.
“I’d go to shoots twice or three times a week and no one knew. This was because everyone would either be going to work or school so I’d go when they’d left and return home before they come back,” said Makhulumo.
She said her family only discovered that she was acting when a teaser for Amakorokoza was flighted on ZBC as they were watching Studio 263.
“My husband was like what, after seeing some scenes that had me in them. At that point, I was nervous and didn’t know what to do as I didn’t know how he’d act. Surprisingly, he asked if this is what I wanted and I said yes, and he said he’d support me.”
With the support from her family, Makulumo worked with the Amakorokoza cast for a couple of years and improved tremendously with each passing year.
She credited William Nyandoro for being the best director who brought out the character of Ntokozo out of her. So good was her performance of Ntokozo’s character that people she met on the streets thought she was a ruthless woman who was a spoilt brat.
“The good memories were being on shoot almost every two or three days of the week. The bad memories were of people calling me names because of the Ntokozo character.
“I acted as a ruthless, evil, spoilt brat and a Mazakhela (derogatory term for single mother living alone). This was all because some viewers didn’t understand that I was only acting,” said Makulumo.
Since her Amakorokoza days, many people wondered what had become of her. Makulumo said after Amakorokoza she took up acting full time. She has acted in drama series Tshuz Mazkhethela by Patrick Mabhena, Insuku Zokugcina by Raisedon Baya and Isipho Sami by Thembelihle Moyo. She has also acted in movies that include The Gentleman by Munya Chidzonga and Nomhle by Thembie Moyo. Recently, she featured on Zambezi Magic’s movies, Cheaters and Another Wedding by Kudzie Chikomo’s Multi Media Productions and Liabilities of Love by Lenny Sibanda’s Yasibo Productions that debuted last Sunday.
Besides being on the silver screen, she also tried her hand at theatre some six years ago and featured in a play by Cont Mhlanga’s sibling, Styx.
Makulumo said despite her busy acting schedule, what she gets for her sweat is too little to sustain her.
She said most of the time, it is her husband who takes her to and from shoots.
“My husband supports my career 100 percent. He takes me to shoots and understands that I come home late sometimes. When I get the little money I get and I mean little pay from movies, I give him some just to say thank you,” said Makhulumo.
To show that the industry is not paying, Makulumo said there was a production that she featured on that was shown on ZBC in 2015 and she will only be getting payment this year.
“We were supposed to get US$400 and all this time, ZBC hasn’t paid us. Now years later, they want to pay us that same $400 through a bank transfer. The money has depreciated so these are some of the challenges that we face as actors in this industry.”
For her, this is the reason why the younger generation is not taking up acting as a fulltime profession.
Her staying in the industry, she said is because of her supportive and loving husband and family.
Outside acting, Makulumo said she is just a house wife, mother and now grandmother.
“I’m a house wife. I’ve three boys and two granddaughters. One of my sons is doing electrical engineering, another is a fitter and turner while the other wants to be an architect.”
Makulumo is also an adjudicator at the Jikinya Schools Dance competitions as well as Schools Theatre Drama.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo