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Sibongile Ndiweni, Sunday Life Reporter
COMEDIANS laugh the most while making jokes about themselves or the things they identify and relate to and in that way, they make sense of a world that can seem hard to understand sometimes. In this way, they can also address emotions that they would not be able to confront using any other platform.
This was the case last Sunday when, in memory of the award-winning comedian, Clive Chigubhu, Umahlekisa Entertainment visited the late comedian’s family in Cowdray Park. As a gesture, comedians from the city pooled together their resources and talents to pay tribute to one of their own.
Community members who loved and appreciated his comedy, together with peers in the industry also attended as they paid tribute to the late legend, appreciating the effort he put in making the business of making people laugh recognised not only in the city of Bulawayo but in Zimbabwe at large.
Speaking to Sunday Life, Ntando Van Moyo, who is the founder of Umahlekisa Entertainment, said in the wake of Chigubu’s death, they set out to create the “humour industry” and ensure that it endures long after him.
He said the late comedy legend was one of the founding members of the community movement as well as Umahlekisa Entertainment, and since he was part of the corner stone of building the club, they felt the need to keep his legacy alive.
“Even though we cannot afford to build a statue for him, we will ensure that his legacy does live on and we will celebrate his life and achievements so that it can inspire upcoming comedians and to express to the society that there are people who recognise comedy but for it to grow bigger it needs more support.
We came together and visited his family as a way of comforting them and showing them the unity we have as well as the spirit of Ubuntu to remember one’s good deeds and celebrate their life even if they are no longer with us in this world.
And with the little that we have done, we are looking forward to having an annual gathering or show dedicated to Clive so that his child can also get to know the impact that Clive left in the humour and spoken word industry and in the society at large”, he said.
Advising young comedians, Moyo said they had to manage their talent, as well as their own personalities, as their craft will monetise itself and pay them off.
He emphasised on working hard and building a brand that will make people follow them because jokes alone cannot lead to their success but they have to create a brand that will be their funding system. Chigubu died in April last year.
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