COMEDY IS A LAUGH FOR THULI

ACTRESS Thuli Thabethe says she ’ s no Celeste Ntuli or Tumi Morake but enjoys doing comedy.

“I totally respect what those women are doing in their industry. I ’ m no comedian but I enjoy doing comedy, ” she said.

The 30-year-old is one of the lead actors in Mzansi Magic ’ s new sitcom, The Mayor.

Directed by comedian Kagiso Lediga, it follows the life of a polygamist Johannesburg mayor played by Lucky Legodi. The two wives are portrayed by Bianca le Grange and Vicky Kente. The

Mayor highlights some of the country ’ s current affairs issues in a satirical way that could be seen as a direct jab at President Jacob Zuma, especially because of the polygamy storyline.

Thabethe plays Marshia, the mayor ’ s assistant. She considers this her biggest role since she played Phumzile, a typical township girl, in the SABC1 comedy

City Ses la for about three years. “It ’ s easier to play ratchet than normal. Normal requires consistency. You get away with a lot of things in acting if you ’ re playing someone ratchet,” she said.

Yesterday on the set of the show in a Johannesburg suburb she said. “The shooting has gone well, it ’ s a typical 12-hour day that we have here. But it ’ s been really fun, 80% of the time we ’ re laughing,” she said.

Thabethe said she was more at peace with where she is in life after her much-publicised split from radio and television personality Thabo “Tbo Touch ” Molefe, with whom she has a child.

“When I entered the industry I was 19. I ’ m older now and have a great sense of self. I would not have been able to deal with things I ’ ve dealt with had they happened 10 years ago.”

Speaking between shoots, director Lediga, whose Bantu Hour debuted last Saturday, also said he ’ s had fun directing The Mayor. “It ’ s quite different. We are lucky to have the sort of talent we have.”