Poet speaks on truth, race and lif
Ntsiki Mazwai wowed the audience on Saturday with her performance in Glennie Festival Centre at the National Arts Festival.
Mazwai challenged people to donate tickets to black girls with her Take A Black Gal To Theatre campaign. In this campaign Ntsiki wanted to ensure that black girls from Rhini and Peddie have access to the Ntsiki Speaks show which opened on 30 June.
Forty tickets were sold. She said her love for young black girls is what made her start the campaign. “I am a black girl and I represent them.”
Speaking to her before the show she said the project is a remake of a production she did in 2008.
“It’s actually a remake. It was played at the Market Theatre in 2008. She added that the show would be “spicy and brutally honest. “hope it changes people,” she said.
In Ntsiki Speaks, the poet addresses social and political issues.
From matters of the heart to absent fathers, from rape to racism.
In the show, Mazwai also pays homage to the RUReferenceList protesters.
Ntsiki is known for her outspoken personality. However she denies that she is. “I don’t think I’m outspoken... funny thing.” She laughed.
“I think that everybody should be telling the truth. I think the world would be a better place if we all just told the truth and we were honest with each other.”
Unfortunately her truth has provoked many people on social networks including the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula.
Mbalula once said that Mazwai’s dress sense was an “invitation for prostitution”.
“I was surprised that society was okay with that.
“I was surprised that society allowed the minister to call a woman a prostitute.”
She felt that she was let down by people.
“Sometimes South Africa doesn't know how to stand up for what is right.”
Mazwai thinks that as a poet it is her duty to talk about the issues that affect people.
“I am a poet. That’s what a poet does. They call out everything as they see it.
“I’m not different from any other poets,” she said, looking agitated.
The poet was born and bred in Soweto but she is still very much in touch with her roots as she often visits her maternal home in Mqanduli next to Mthatha.
She is the second born in a family of five. According to her it is important that people protect their heritage.
“It’s not a good thing not to know your own mother tongue. The African child must be a part of their culture and heritage.”
She says that as someone who attended white schools she saw that there is a need to educate blacks about their culture.
She talks against people who wear weaves and imitate Americans. “Why are you aspiring to be an American? It means you are not proud to be an African.”
According to her, people who imitate others suffer from low self esteem. When asked about the last time she wore a weave. “I was in high school and it was itchy as hell.”
She doesn’t see why people feel that they have to look like white people to feel beautiful.
“Do you see a white person wearing an afro?” she asks.
The production did not go without challenges. “There’s always going to be challenges, it's theatre.”
Mazwai had to fund it herself.
“I didn’t have funding for this play so I had to do everything myself.”
She said that Ntsiki Speaks is dedicated to her mother, Belede Camagwini Mazwai: “My mother was a strong woman and not shy and not like me.”
The one-woman show will be on until Saturday 9 July.
Ntsiki is currently doing a Masters degree in Creative Writing at Rhodes University.
She was awarded a scholarship by the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
“I decided to do my Masters because I’m an artist and my craft must always be on point.”
She added that even though that comes with a huge work load, she is enjoying it.
Based in Grahamstown, Mazwai hosts open mic sessions to help develop local artists.
Since her arrival in Grahamstown Mazwai has also been part of Rhodes Music Radio (RMR), hosting a talk show.
She was also the MC for the Election Connection series of live political party debates hosted jointly by Radio Grahamstown, RMR and Grocott’s Mail, earlier this year.