Langalakhe Mabena
COMEDY lovers are set to be in for a different kind of treat when the KwaNtuthu Comedy Festival returns for its fifth edition, with director Dumisani “MaForty” Ndlovu preparing to put himself in the hot seat for a night of jokes, jabs and unfiltered laughter.
Running from October 28 to November 1 under the theme “Give Me 5 – High 5”, the festival is switching things up with a refreshed programme that includes an outdoor event and the much-anticipated “Watch My Weight – The Roast of MaForty”.
For a man who has made a career out of making others laugh, being on the receiving end of the jokes could prove to be an interesting experience.
Scheduled for October 29 at a local entertainment venue, the roast will bring together people who know MaForty beyond the stage, giving them an opportunity to poke fun at the comedian’s life, personality and personal choices.
The panel will feature multi-award-winning musician Msiz’Kay, MaForty’s best friend Cruz, his younger sister Nokuthaba Ndlovu, popularly known as MaTwenty, comedian Lyton, award-winning
Zimpapers journalist Bongani Ndlovu, as well as Milo, who will represent festival partner ByoPodcast.
MaForty said the idea for the roast was inspired by his frequent responses to questions about personal milestones, particularly questions like when is he planning to get married or have a child.
“‘Watching My Weight’ started as a statement I used to say to people when responding to questions such as when I was getting married or having a child.
“I decided to incorporate some material from a script I wrote called ‘Watching My Weight’ into a roast of MaForty. The idea is to say people can come at me and say anything, but I am unbothered.
I deal with things when I want and how I want. I choose my struggles, in a comic way, obviously,” he said.
The comedian said the choice of panellists was deliberate, with each bringing a different perspective shaped by their relationship with him.
He has worked with Msiz’Kay professionally, including hosting one of the musician’s concerts, while Cruz and MaTwenty will draw from their close personal ties with him. Lyton, meanwhile, volunteered to be part of the roast.
“I have worked with Msiz’Kay and had the honour of hosting one of his concerts. We have a good working relationship in the industry, and I felt he would be the best fit.
“For Cruz, the team wanted him because he is my best friend. The same applies to my younger sister. Lyton actually asked to be part of the roast, and he is someone from another side of my life, so I figured, why not?” he said.
The arrangement, however, comes with an interesting catch — some guest panellists will be allowed to roast MaForty without having to face a counterattack from him.
“Of paramount importance, the roast will also feature guest panellists, and I won’t get to roast them back. That is the agreement with them,” he said.
Beyond the jokes and personal revelations, the festival is also adapting to the realities of staging a major arts event in a challenging financial environment.
MaForty revealed that some sponsors and partners withdrew at the last minute, while some schools failed to meet deadlines, forcing organisers to trim the programme and reduce the number of participating schools.
Rather than abandon the event, the team has opted to restructure the festival and introduce new experiences while working within its budget.
“For this year’s festival, we have decreased the number of schools that used to grace the festival on separate occasions. We are introducing an outdoor event, as well as other exciting events.
“We restructured our festival so as to be in line with our budget. We experienced last-minute cancellations from our partners and sponsors, and some schools failed to meet our deadlines, resulting in them being dropped from the programme. But we will stage the festival, and I know it will be top-notch,” he said.
As KwaNtuthu Comedy Festival celebrates five editions, MaForty is betting on fresh ideas, familiar faces and a willingness to laugh at himself to keep audiences coming back for more.
