adminBongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
FEMALE comedian Nomsa Muleya today retraces her roots to Beitbridge, her home town when she holds a debut show during the ongoing Beitbridge International Festival of the Arts (BIFA).
Nomsa D as Muleya is known, will perform alongside fellow comedian Babongile Sikhonjwa during the Comedy Hour at Beitbridge Inn.
The border town is of particular importance to Nomsa D as she traces her roots to Mataga village under Chief Sitaudze, about 20KM from the border town where Venda people are found.
The Bulawayo born comedian said being a Venda girl and performing in Beitbridge meant a lot to her as she was last in the town 14 years ago.
“The last time I was there was when I visited my father’s grave and stayed with my grandmother in Mataga for a bit. So it’s an emotional return for me, as this is where most of my kith and kin come from. However, I can only speak three sentences in Venda,” said Nomsa D.
She said she was not sure how she was going to be received by the crowd in her hometown.
“I feel nervous that I’ll be performing for the first time in my life in Beitbridge. What I don’t know is what type of crowd I’ll be performing for. That really scares me, but I know I’ll pull through,” said Nomsa D.
She said the comedy show was also a learning curve for her as she would be working with Sikhonjwa, a seasoned comedian.
“I’ve never worked with Babongile and I’m looking forward to doing so. He’s a talent and I think I’ll learn a lot from him when he gets on stage and the pointers that he’ll probably give me before and after I perform,” said Nomsa D. She said if all goes well she would make frequent visits to the border town for more shows after the festival.
The annual fete which is in its third year, kicked off yesterday running under the theme, “Big Art, Small Town”. It will end on Sunday.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo