Female comedian talks on career

Rebecca Nyathi Sunday Leisure Reporter
SHE is a woman among a number of men in Bulawayo who can get anyone roll in laughter and probably wet their pants with her jokes. She admits that the art genre that she has chosen is fraught with insults and criticism from the public as making people laugh is not as easy as people may think, especially in a country where people are still to fully embrace comedy as an art genre that is growing.

Diana Nomsa Chibi Muleya who is in her early 30s and a mother to a 14-year-old boy is part of the Mahlekisa Comedy Crew which is dominated by males. She is the only female in that crew.

Muleya started comedy in 2011 after being inspired by Clive Chigubhu, Ntando “Van” Moyo and Tswarelo Mothobe while she was working on a film project — Ibhayisikopo with Priscilla Sithole-Ncube.

She reminisces that she only did rehearsals under Prince Godonga Mahlangu and her first performance was in 2013.
“I only started performing two years ago in December at a charity function”, she said

She further added that at her first show, the audience was good even though she thought she was going to get a different reaction before she stepped onto the stage.
“The first time I stepped onto the stage, the audience was good, they welcomed me to do my thing and the butterflies I had in my stomach disappeared as soon as I realised that the audience was enjoying,” she said.

When asked how she balances being a comedian, photographer and a full time mother of a teenager, she said it all comes naturally.
“I love what I do hence I find it hard to complain, being a mother doesn’t limit me to do my work, my son is in boarding school and it’s not like I am always on stage but I simply love working with cameras,” she said.

For Muleya being a comedian has earned her respect from the public although this is not to say she does not face the criticism that comes with working with the public.
“I was once told that my jokes are nude, this country is not ready for sex jokes from females, and considering that we are Africans, I understand. It’s quite difficult. Standing on the stage and trying to make everyone laugh is not easy, you just have to be super creative and remain original,” she said.

Besides being a comedian and a mother, Muleya also does photography. She has worked with Intwasa Festival in the past years.
The humourist sees herself not only as the female comedian in Bulawayo, and aspires to be the funniest in Zimbabwe from where she wishes to go international.
“In two years to come, I do not see myself as only the female comedian in this city, but one of the funniest comics in Zimbabwe,” she said.

She said she was currently working on a programme that she couldn’t disclose, hinting that people are going to enjoy it.