The journey of Fundi Zwane
ACTRESS AND MOTHER: HOW THE WOMAN PLAYING IMBEWU’S KAMADONSELA FOUND FAME
‘It’s okay to sacrifice certain things in life for the bigger picture.’
Fundiswa Zwane plays a grounded Christian woman, KaMadonsela on e.tv’s Imbewu the seed; a role that viewers love of a respectful wife any man would wish to have.
She broke into the acting industry as Rethabile on the soapie, Generations, a character the actress says set the stage for her to be one of the women that make the e.tv drama series Imbewu one of Mzansi’s most intriguing stories. She fell in love with acting while doing a few plays in high school.
“What I enjoy most about acting is ... getting into the psychological headspace of a character and understanding why they make the decisions they make and what drives them.
“I look at it as anthropological work. I excavate the old secrets and the bones of a character and take it from there, piecing their world together.
“I would still love to portray the role of ... a lovable villain. I think villains provide rich emotional contexts and layers and that would excite me.
“If I was not on Imbewu I would ... be plugged into other productions, not just as an actress but as a content creator. There are so many productions that are breaking new ground and innovating in how they tell the African narrative.
“It’s exciting to see how we are unfolding as storytellers. It’s an exciting time to be an African, as out productions are taking up meaningful global spaces and putting South Africa on the map.
“It’s commendable and we have every reason to be proud as audiences.
“There have been many sacrifices ... I’ve had to hold off my dreams of travelling the world in search of great stories, but I’m still hoping to do that one day.
“Being here today has also involved a lot of dedication and discipline. I find that it’s okay to sacrifice certain things in life for the bigger picture.
“What I enjoy most about my role as kaMadonsela ... is her being a wife and a mother. It’s interesting to me how she takes up space in her marriage and what she has with Phakade is endearing.
“She is protective of her girls and loves them beyond measure, so that’s another thing I enjoy. Priscilla has a very intuitive side to her, and seeing that unfold in the story has been great.
“I believe that my character is teaching viewers ... about the importance of doing their own internal work when the world around them falls apart.
“So many women are walking around with internal scars because of experiences and circumstances they didn’t ask for, so I think kaMadonsela and what she goes through will at least help those women to vicariously navigate that tender emotional space.
“I’m hoping my character will teach about healing, forgiveness and what it means to love another and love yourself as a woman.
“KaMadonsela and Fundi are worlds apart because ... she (Donsi) is a 40-something rural preacher’s wife. I’m a 33-year-old urban go-getter and an independent hippie with shaved hair and tattoos who enjoys hip hop and rap music.
“Donsi is fulfilled being a mom and wife. The journeys of both these women (Fundi and Donsi) are different but equally beautiful. We are, however, similar in that we both love our girls and would move heaven and earth to see them happy and successful. I’m a mom to a five-year-old girl.
“I think Imbewu as a story is hugely significant ... especially in a time when Africans are setting the bar so high and showing the world the wealth of Africa in our stories.
“Imbewu is a product I’m so proud to be part of. It’s visually stunning and places an African traditional practice at the centre of its narrative with interesting characters. This kind of cultural representation matters.
“Imbewu is a story about the people of this country and it explores the dynamics of urban rural contexts in families so well.
“Motherhood means ... constant unfolding evolution. I watch my kid with so much awe because I can’t believe it’s the same kid I carried out of the hospital; a person that was so tiny and beautiful. Now she’s an even more beautiful as an intelligent, active five-yearold with her own convictions and way of doing things.
“There are so many things I wish I’d been told about motherhood before becoming a mom ... like how your entire brain shifts to make this tiny human the centre of everything; how sleeping patterns change forever; that you would hear the words ‘maaaaa’ and ‘why’ a gazillion trillion times a day. My own mother has done a great job at holding my hand at being a mom. I’m so very lucky and grateful for that. It’s been a beautiful fulfilling journey thus far.
“I would like to teach my child Bella-Rose ... and I quote from Brene Brown, that she is ‘imperfect and enough’. I aspire to raise a human being who is mindful, kind and has enough conviction and passion to make her voice heard, and to unfold in whatever direction her imagination and passion takes her. As long as she is happy and contributing positively to humanity, I’m a happy mom, and it’s something I’ve started teaching her now already.
“I try to teach her and give her autonomy because I can only imagine what it’s like for her having a ‘celebrity’ as a mother. I want her to grow up knowing she has her own shoes to fill, and that what I’ve achieved is not a standard for her to pursue, but rather a navigation tool showing her she must chase her butterflies.
“My relationship with my kid is ... easygoing but also very deep. We have such a spiritual bond and it’s seriously cool. I’m lucky in that my child has got quite an easygoing temperament. We are both crazy and expressive, and that can be an enjoyable circus in our home. I also am a mother who values discipline, and she has the innate ability to understand when she’s in trouble.
“Fundiswa is ... a woman who is unfolding and healing. From day to day I’m a changing canvas.
My actual home. Here I get to reboot and recharge without judgment. Grace and encouragement abound in my family, so it’s an amazing space.
What are you currently listening to?
Kid Codi, Jaden Smith, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Ebz The Artist, AKA, Kwesta and Ebonygypsy Which movie made you cry? I am Sam. It had me in tatters. Sean Penn’s performance was at another level. I watched it way before I became a mom. The Good Dinosaur is another one. I watched it recently with my kid and again I bawled like a baby. Animations are now made with adults in mind, and this one hit me. It’s about a little dinosaur who needs to learn courage and responsibility after his father dies. My kid’s
father died a couple of years back so this movie was one we decided to own on DVD. It articulated all the things I wanted to tell Bella-Rose about loss and pain.
Which character, besides your own, is your favourite on
What advice you would give your character Priscilla?
That she must always trust her intuition and that having a baby boy will not solve the feeling of not being enough as a wife and a woman. She needs to fix that by herself if she has the strength to. What do you enjoy doing? Being at home with my closest circle talking about everything from Africanism, spirituality, to business, polygamy, sports and ancient kemmit and astrology. I also enjoy stalking my crush on Facebook. And spending time with my little one, encouraging her to read, I love that.