Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
Veteran actors Zenzo Nyathi and Aleck Zulu have been brought together by the Covid-19 induced lockdown and come up with comic characters which have been keeping people entertained online.
Nyathi is popularly known for his role as Mzambane and Zulu as Skoro in the yesteryear local drama, Amakorokoza.
Short clips on Twitter and Facebook of the two as security guards addressing press conferences on topical issues in Zimbabwe have captivated virtual audiences for the past couple of weeks.
Their self-funded collaboration is being guided/directed by renowned playwright Raisedon Baya and filmmaker Johanne Mpofu.
It was during the initial lockdown last year that Nyathi came up with the idea of a skit about the dangers of Covid-19.
“During the first lockdown, I came up with this small idea to do a skit and more on the dangers of Covid-19. Since we were home and couldn’t do much, I scripted my first skit and it was produced by CITE.
“I did the first skit with my daughter and the reception was amazing. So I was inspired to do a second one with CITE again. After that when lockdown regulations were relaxed a bit, I was always in conversation with Raisedon to create exciting characters that we could push and do skits,” said Nyathi.
Other than educating people about the pandemic, Nyathi said the skits were his way of keeping sane as artistes were not allowed to perform.
He said when he teamed up with Zulu, they realised the importance of having an online presence. “Just because Aleck and I come a long way, we just decided to go for it and that’s how we started working together on this project.
While at it, we realised there was a need to be visible, especially online for that was the new normal. We felt by doing these short skits and posting them on our Twitter and Facebook pages, we’d not only be communicating different messages, but also creating a different audience,” said Nyathi.
“Online is the new normal so it’s very important for our content to be online. We hope someday it (skits) will create some opportunities for us.”
Nyathi said with their skits, they tackle day to day issues.
“In terms of topics, we pick any especially current issues though we have noted that people enjoy press conferences more. We tackle socio-eco-political issues and generally day-to-day issues.
“We mirror our society in a lighter way. The reception has been amazing and we’re really appreciative. We also appreciate the feedback as people at times tell us what to give them next,” he said.– @bonganinkunzi
Online Reporter