Enock Chihombori-Correspondent
The name Gweshegweshe was never meant to become a household name.
In fact, it began as a light-hearted workplace joke in the mid-1990s, long before the character became one of the most recognisable faces on Zimbabwean television.
It is a story that William Matenga, the actor who brought the character to life, would eventually become part of.
Some time in the mid-1990s, I was working in the Southerton industrial area at a company called Cochrane. It was there that a young Harare Polytechnic student, Tichaona Gweshe, joined our office as an attachment student.
Interestingly, nobody in the office seemed to call him by his first name. We all knew him as Gweshe.
One day, my workmate, Geof Mamombe, and I decided to have a little fun with him. We jokingly asked whether he actually had a first name.
He looked surprised. We pretended not to know his first name, and when he appeared somewhat annoyed and refused to divulge it, we proceeded to declare that he had no first name at all.
Our verdict was simple: Gweshe would be both his first name and surname.
And just like that, we started calling him Gweshe Gweshe.
I suspect he was not particularly amused by the new identity at first, but the name soon caught on among nearly everyone in the office.
For that brief period, he became our very own Gweshe Gweshe.
I particularly liked the sound of it. Little did I know that a workplace joke would eventually find its way into Zimbabwean television history.
In 1997, I began writing the first of my Gringo scripts. One of the main characters needed a name, and I wanted something unusual, memorable and distinctive.
Then I remembered Gweshe Gweshe.
I thought it was catchy enough to give the character an identity of its own. I simply joined the two names to create Gweshegweshe.
In early 1998, the script was accepted and commissioned by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), and we moved into casting.
A relatively unknown, but talented actor from Chitungwiza, Matenga, landed the role.
At the time, I had no idea that some of the names I had created in my scripts would eventually stick to the actors who portrayed them. But that is precisely what happened.
From the first Gringo drama series in 1998, Matenga became Gweshegweshe to millions of Zimbabweans.
The name that had started as a joke in an office had found its permanent home on television.
I first encountered William through Screentalent, a Harare-based acting club where we were both members. It was also the place where I met several other actors who would later become part of the Gringo cast.
Among them were the late Lazarus Boora, who played Gringo; the late Collen Dube, who portrayed John Banda; Memory Guzha, who played Anna; and Blessing Chimhowa, popularly known as Mbudziyadhura.
Screentalent was largely made up of young actors in their late teens and twenties. Matenga was among the senior members who regularly attended.
Being an active member required commitment and dedication, and William had plenty of both.
He genuinely enjoyed acting. Ndozviya zvinonzi, it was in his blood.
When we started producing the Gringo drama series, one of our biggest headaches was communication. There were no cellphones in those days, and coordinating rehearsals and filming schedules was not easy.
We would agree on specific meeting times and a central collection point in town. A bus would then pick up the cast and crew before proceeding to the filming location.
Latecomers were a nightmare. Without mobile phones, there was no way of knowing whether someone was on their way or had simply decided not to turn up.
It was frustrating for me and everyone involved.
But I honestly cannot recall a single occasion when we had to wait anxiously or wonder whether Matenga was coming.
He was always there.
He was punctual for rehearsals, available for filming, and committed to the production process. Even after we stopped producing for ZBC, his work ethic never changed.
He respected the craft, respected his colleagues, and understood what it meant to be part of a production.
He enjoyed acting so much that he would often approach me and ask: “Mdhara Tobas, muri kunyora zvimwe here?”
That question said everything about his passion. He was always ready for another opportunity to get back on set.
William was our gentle giant.
He was cheerful, friendly and approachable, with a warmth that made working with him enjoyable. He never carried himself as someone who had become a familiar face on television.
He remained grounded and committed to his work.
Away from acting, Matenga was also a member of the armed forces, where he served in the Public Relations Department.
On a few occasions, I visited him at Defence House along Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
I remember one particular conversation when he proudly told me: “Tobas, unozviziva kuti ndinombofamba naPresident here?”
He was referring to the then President, Robert Mugabe.
I was not convinced and probably gave him a doubtful look.
He quickly followed up with another statement: “Mazuva ano President havachada kufamba neni nekuti ndinovakwikwidza pakufarirwa nechaunga.”
I laughed it off.
That was William — humorous, confident and always ready with a remark that would leave you smiling.
When Lazarus Boora, the original Gringo, passed away, his son Taurai Boora, popularly known as Gringo Junior, took over the role.
William seamlessly continued working with Tau, particularly on the YouTube productions that kept the Gringo story alive for a new generation of viewers.
It was a testament to his adaptability and enduring commitment to the character and the production.
Even in recent years, when he began experiencing health challenges, he maintained the same professional attitude towards his work.
Then, I woke up to the heartbreaking news that William Matenga was no more.
It was difficult to take in.
A man who had given so much to Zimbabwean television, and whose face and character had become familiar to generations of viewers, was gone.
He had run his race and given us the best of his abilities.
Looking back, I feel particularly fortunate that William was the actor who landed the role of Gweshegweshe. He did not merely play the character; he embraced it, gave it life and made it his own.
There is a difference between an actor playing a role and an actor becoming synonymous with that role. William achieved the latter.
For many Zimbabweans, Matenga was Gweshegweshe. His real name might have appeared in the credits, but it was the character that followed him into people’s homes, conversations and memories.
And perhaps that is the greatest compliment an actor can receive.
The irony of it all is that the original Tichaona Gweshe, the Harare Polytechnic attachment student, was never particularly fond of being called Gweshe Gweshe.
But William Matenga fully embraced Gweshegweshe, transforming a name born out of office banter into a lasting part of Zimbabwe’s entertainment heritage.
Today, as we mourn William, I also remember those early days at Screentalent, the long filming schedules, the bus collections, the laughter and the countless moments that helped shape the Gringo productions.
We have lost an actor, a colleague, a friend, and a man whose contribution to our television industry will not easily be forgotten.
Tarasikirwa neMudhara wedu.
Rest in peace, William Matenga.
Rest in peace, Gweshegweshe.
You made the name immortal.
