Online Reporter
SOUTH African veteran actor Brenda Ngxoli, says she’s still in awe of her fans after they rallied around her and uplifted her last month as she faced financial struggles and psychological distress at home.
A few weeks ago, Ngxoli went viral on social media after pouring her heart out in a video clip where she opened up about alleged mistreatment she was receiving at her home in the Eastern Cape.
Another video clip exposed her living conditions and showed an exchange of words between her and a close female family member. Speaking to Sowetan at the press junket of her new film, A Scam Called Love, last Thursday, the 45-year-old thespian said she was in a better place, thanks to Mzansi.
“It was humbling to see how everyone came and supported me during that trying time. My uncle once said to me, ‘Brenda, you will never understand how deep the swamp is until you’re out of it.”
The reaction from people made me see that I’m in such a bad situation and as much as you try to hide it, you have no choice but to reveal it.
“I’m glad that my child and I are breathing today because of the masses that came to our aid. People don’t understand the intensity of what they did. It’s more than I can ever thank them for,” she said.
Ngxoli said she has often been painted as “problematic”, which has often led to mistreatment from this close relative. “The way South Africans came to my rescue made me realise that, even if (a close family member) can utter words that broke me, and words that state that everybody knows that you beat people, show me they didn’t know that about me,” she said.
“That was enough for me to stand firm in taking care of my child. A family member once said to me that God knows not to give you a child because you’re cruel, but 42 years later I did.”
Ngxoli said that her daughter, Sky, was her ray of sunshine.
“I’m more addicted to my daughter than she is to me. I have attachment issues, it could be that I had a child at 42. Motherhood came late for me but I will make sure she’s sorted and that no one paints me as the bad person I’m made out to be,” she said.
Meanwhile, in the new rom-com, Ngxoli plays the supporting role of Naledi Cele. “We shot this movie a year-and-a-half ago. I loved the support structure the production team created. They were able to provide two childminders for Sky and I found home with the black directors leading this production,” she said.
“This role landed on my lap when I was going through a whole bunch of things in my personal life. When I received this role I was living with Fezile Mpela. He and I play husband and wife in this movie. He took me and my daughter into his house when we needed a roof over our heads.”
Ngxoli said there was nothing stopping her, and that her next role will even be bigger. “I can’t really speak much about this because I got a call late last year that I received the role. It’s one that not many expected but I can assure you they’re going to be blown away,” she said. —www.sowetanlive.co.za
