Gumede taken to task for TV role
Actress fends off angry fans
Uzalo star Nomcebo Gumede no longer walks freely in public due to her TV character.
Gumede portrays the role of Mumsy, an annoying person who everyone wants to slap. Since the character was introduced, Gumede has been confronted by soapie fans many times.
Mumsy is a troublemaker, an unruly and fearless wild woman. She is pastor Mdletshe’s long-lost daughter and dating the biggest thug Mastermind (played by Ntokozo Dlamini).
The confrontations are so serious that fans tell Gumede how ugly she is and that she is not the right girl for Mastermind.
“Just before the episode of Mumsy partying flighted, I was confronted by a woman who said I looked like the ugly Mumsy,” Gumede said. “She said she hated Mumsy for having tattoos on the whole body, and that she was misbehaving while she is a pastor’s child.”
A few days later, another confrontation happened at a shop in Pretoria. A teller and some customers accused her of playing with Mastermind’s feelings.
“This time things got serious. I tried to explain that Mumsy was only a character. I called the store manager to help but people were not taking me seriously.
“I still cannot believe that there are people who think that what they see on television is true. I find it funny that they say I am ugly and playing with his feelings.”
For the past two months, she has been stirring things up between pastor Mdletshe (Glen Gabela) and his wife MaNzuza (Leleti Khumalo).
If she is not hosting night parties at the pastor’s house, Mumsy is two-timing her boyfriend Mastermind.
Gumede wants to keep a low profile as a new dramatic storyline is starting this week.
The stage and television actress says Mumsy’s character was introduced to test public reaction when a woman is a player. Before she took on the role, writers explained the danger of portraying such a role. “When a man has many girlfriends he is hailed as a hero. But when a woman does the same, she is labeled a whore or isifebe. “This shows how society is judgmental towards women and the treatment they get.” She defines Mumsy as a troubled young woman who was raised by a single mother in Swaziland. She grew up longing for her father’s presence in her life.
“Mumsy is full of anger because her father was not present in her life. She dated at a young age because she was looking for fatherly love. “She lies a lot to get out of any sticky situation. Where she can’t use lies, she uses emotional blackmail.” Gumede might be new on television but she has years of theatre experience. She is also a writer of note, having penned a one-woman show Trapped.