Nimrod: Who s your daddy?
NIMROD IS A FAMILY SAVER
UTATAKHO presenter Nimrod Nkosi is on a mission to round up deadbeat fathers.
He took over after Zola left the show recently.
Four weeks into the Mzansi Magic gig, Nkosi is having the time of his life.
Nkosi was a prominent feature in the 90s and early 2000s on the youth scene as a host of the hugely popular Friday evening game show Jam Alley. He was an obvious choice when Lotto came to South Africa and for years became the face of the game of numbers. He found a home on Soweto TV as the host of Your Late Mate. And now, showing just enough grey hairs and a developing girth, Nkosi takes on the mammoth task of rebuilding broken families through resolving paternal disputes with DNA tests.
He can be witty on command and brings his own style to the reality show that enjoys a lot of attention on social media and trends on Twitter every week.
Nkosi says: “’I m passionate about the restoration of black families, especially black men as leaders of their families … to be accountable men and to show leadership and empathy. As a community, we need to meet and educate each other to avoid things such as paternity disputes. ” The TV veteran says what shocked him most while working on the show was fathers who denied their children
even when the evidence existed.
Together with the producers, he has to find out who the people who come to the show want. They have to verify the stories that are bought to them.
After the cameras have left, the families are taken to counselling to help them deal with the outcomes of the paternity tests.
Nkosi advocates what others may deem old-fashioned values.
“We need to go to young people and ready them for steady relationships. We must tell them the benefits of doing certain things within the confines of a stable relationship and minimise having children out of the blue and be accountable for kids we bring into the world.”
In transforming himself, Nkosi has morphed into a motivational speaker who encourages a positive change in prisoners and students. Nkosi believes that being on sharpens his skills as a problem solver.
“It gives me the platform to reason with people and calm them down so they can resolve their issues. The show has opened my eyes that some people have problems because they do not communicate properly,” he says.
Among the challenges, he says, is asking older people difficult questions. “I set the tone and let them know that I recognise that they are older people. I apologise beforehand and to be submissive to the hierarchy is very important. That ’ s why when it comes to questions of a sexual nature, you must find a manner in which you can ask without being disrespectful. It is merely trying to get to the bottom of the truth and assist those in need.”
MNet ’ s Nondumiso Mabece says Nkosi got the job not only because he was the best in the auditions room.
“We believe he is well experienced and also works as a motivational speaker, which adds to his credibility. Our audience has responded positively and we couldn ’ t be happier with him.”
Nkosi says the show has opened his eyes to the need to teach his son to be a better man.
“I m passionate about restoration of black families