The Madiba you didn’t know
AFRICAN PREMIERE: THE STAR-STUDDED SERIES DEPICTS AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY
Hlomla Dandala hits back at critics.
You have read the books and you have seen the movies. Now it’s time to celebrate a true African icon in the landmark new miniseries Madiba, coming to African screens for the first time on Monday at 9pm.
This six-part series examines the revolution created by Nelson Mandela to fight for the freedom and equality of all South Africans, despite the efforts of those in power to maintain longstanding separation and discrimination in the country.
More than just a political leader, Madiba also looks into the intricacies of Mandela’s personal life and the internal struggles he faced in his quest to free the nation.
With a rich and powerful cast, the series features leading performances by Laurence Fishburne ( Black-ish, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Matrix Trilogy) as Nelson Mandela, and Terry Pheto ( Tsotsi, Catch a Fire, Goodbye Bafana) as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, as well as Kate Liquorish as Ruth First, Hlomla Dandala as Govan Mbeki and Meren Reddy as Ahmed Kathrada, to name just a few.
The cast all agree that a lot of research and reading went into being able to bring the characters to life and depicting them realistically.
“I speak for all of us. We had very big shoes to fill because we wanted to honour and respect these people’s work. A lot of reading and research went into portraying their lives well,” said Liquorish, with Pheto echoing her sentiments. “It was a daunting task, especially for my character. It was hard to play a woman I have admired,” Pheto said, adding that she didn’t get a chance to sit down with Madikizela-Mandela before portraying her on the mini-series, as she was ill and in hospital, but says she appreciates having had a chat with her a few years ago.
“You can’t capture the life of a person, especially one who lived such an incredible life; the best thing you can do is capture their soul and spirit; what they were about and honour that,” Dandala pointed out, hitting back at critics who wonder why he didn’t get to play the role of Madiba.
“Madiba is an American series, telling a story of a person we’ve known since his heydays. I’ve known this story, the industry knows it and the money people know it. Why haven’t we told the Madiba story or a Walter or Tambo story? You can’t blame the Americans for telling a story they chose to tell; for seeing our greatness when we couldn’t. It’s our fault. The fact that the story is about us and we haven’t told it, says a lot about us,” Dandala said.
Pheto says being part of the mini-series has taught her a lot of lessons and allowed her to appreciate her freedom more. “I have learned that as South Africans we have a long way to go, and we should be very grateful of the freedom and the opportunities that we have,” adding that “we should not apologise for telling our stories the most honest way possible”.
Pheto says it’s important for South Africans to preserve their history. “Without understanding our history, the future looks a little bleak. I don’t want to make it a race thing, but when we have to be faced with such subjects, people get uncomfortable.”
Liquorish explained how thankful she is of what the nation has overcome; pointing out how important it is for South Africans to lend each other an ear. “As a white person, I’m sick of white people not wanting to listen.”
Featuring a star-studded local and international cast, Madiba depicts the rich history of one of South Africa’s most beloved heroes.
The series not only demonstrates a commitment to showcase more locally-relevant content for African audiences, but also exemplifies the purpose of celebrating unique stories and extraordinary characters.