adminBongani Ndlovu Saturday Leisure Correspondent
WHEN one mentions the name Khuluza, it takes one back to 2003 when local content ruled the roost.
It evokes memories of a naughty sock puppet on ZBCtv that caused comical chaos in each episode that you watched. Khuluza and his partner-in-crime and friend Vovola, were a hit in 2003 and 2004.
The programme’s target audience was children but so interesting was it that many adults became hooked on it.
Characters such as Pinky, Mama kaKhuluza, Pastor and Khulu kept viewers glued on the screen with their antics. The puppets were hand and sock puppets and were operated by talented actors.
What was interesting on the programme was that a form of theatre, puppet theatre, was brought to television for the first time in Zimbabwe.
However, the programme only aired 13 episodes and disappeared from the silver screen, leaving viewers wondering when it will make a return.
This week Saturday Leisure caught up with the director and script writer of the play Nelson Mapako, to get to know a bit more about how he came up with such an interesting children’s programme.
The Dete born artiste said puppet theatre was a part of theatre he enjoyed and Khuluza was an extension of his passion that is children’s programming.
“On our national broadcaster, I saw and continue to see a challenge when it comes to children’s programming. So I came up with Khuluza with that in mind, to give children a programme that they could enjoy and be educated at the same time,” said Mapako.
He said after the formation of National Television, he pitched the idea for Khuluza and they liked it.
“Upon the formation of National Television, they were looking for content from people. So I went there with my idea for Khuluza. I pitched it to them and they enjoyed what I had and they took me on board,” said Mapako.
He said after that ZBCtv took over the project that was commissioned by NTV.
“The guys at ZBCtv Montrose Studios where we shot the episodes were enthusiastic and dedicated everyday. We used an OB Van to do the editing and it took us three weeks to finish the whole 13 episodes. This meant a lot of rehearsal time that had to be dedicated so that we do things perfectly,” said Mapako.
He said with all his antics Khuluza had a moral lesson at the end of each episode.
“I did not want to make a programme that had no meaning. So all the episodes on Khuluza had a moral ending and lesson that would help parents teach children life lessons,” said Mapako.
He said the programme did not continue because in 2006, he went to Swaziland to study theatre and drama.
“When I was there, I continued generating children’s programming. I created another puppet show in SiSwati called Mantentekazane with Pedzisayi Sithole. It was along the same storyline as Khuluza but with a twist. I approached Swazitv with the idea and they ran with it. If one is lucky, they can watch it on Swazitv,” said Mapako.
He said Khuluza was heavily influenced by what was happening in society. “I looked at what was happening in life. Khuluza was brought up by a single parent, his mother. I can say to some extent his character reflected my life as I was brought up by my mother in Hwange. So Khuluza and what he does is a reflection of society at that time and my upbringing,” said Mapako.
Mapako said he was planning on coming up with another puppet series for television.
“One of my dreams is to come up with a sitcom puppet show in the future. It is only that I have been busy, but I have had discussions about this with my colleagues on how we can do this,” he said.
Khuluza and Vovola were two notorious young boys who made life’s topics such as respect, personal hygiene fun to watch and educational at the same time.
Khuluza was played by Thembile Tshuma who is still pursuing theatre in South Africa. Vovola was played by Andrew Kanjala, Lionel Nkosi played two characters Khulu and Pastor, and he is now in Botswana still pursuing theatre. Khuluza’s mother was played by the late Lydia Sibanda and Pinky was played by Zodwa Sibanda.
The sock puppet is a puppet formed from a sock and operated by inserting one’s hand inside the sock. One then moves his hand up and down to give the impression of speaking.
Sometimes eyes and other factors are added to the sock in order to make the puppet more realistic. Sock puppets are also popular in many puppet performances, as they are simple to make and easy to use.
They are mostly used in satirical or children’s works.
Online Reporter