’BEING A DECENT HUMAN BEING – THAT’S MY GOAL’
‘OU cannot be standing still and trying to prove yourself because when you’re doing that, you’re stealing time away from actually building and changing the world that you live in.” This is Nomzamo Mbatha’s message to those who have tried to discredit her hard work.
The KwaMashu-born actress was a hot topic in recent weeks after making the cover of the Cosmopolitan August issue. Called the Activism Issue, it sparked a debate about her activism credentials, thus making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Instead of celebrating her role as a fierce fighter for gender equality and youth empowerment, poet Ntsiki Mazwai slammed the magazine and Mbatha.
The 28-year-old seems to be taking the clap backs in her stride by concentrating on the work at hand. “There are so many titles that are given to human beings. The only title I ever want to own is being a decent human being and that I stained the earth with things that I was passionate about.”
But this story isn’t about feeding the tabloid beast, it’s about one woman’s drive to succeed, in not only her career but by using her voice for those who do not have one.
The actress, probably best known for her role on Mzansi Magic’s hit telenovela, Isibaya and the 2015 movie Tell Me Sweet Something, has had a busy 2018. And yet, it seems there’s no holding her back.
The TV personality was introduced to SA audiences at the MTV Base presenter search auditions almost eight years ago. And now she’s co-directing her first movie starring La Sauce, Zola Nombona and Sdumo Mtshali.
With her plate full, she still finds the time to support and commit to causes that are close to her heart.
A guest speaker at the recent Marie Claire Power Summit, she says she was excited to be part of the panel. “Finally we get a space, where as women, we get to feed off of each other, we learn and we share,” she adds.
Mbatha’s personality is loud and fierce, and she’s not afraid to use her celebrity status as a tool for reaching out to the masses. The Cosmo cover reaffirms that she is the face of the new female – confident, unapologetic and assertive.
She’s used these traits to her advantage. One just needs to look at her activism work, including raising awareness as an ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The experience has been somewhat surreal for her and made her even more determined to highlight the refugee crisis on the continent.
When she speaks about youth empowerment, there’s a slight timbre in her tone.
“Youth empowerment is a great social ill in this country. I believe that there are so many young people who are so passionate about different things, and there are all these avenues that are supposedly there, but there’s no bridge to get the information to them.”
Mbatha finds it interesting in the age of feminism and the fight against patriarchy that more conversations are not taking place about the boy child. “We can’t just work on empowering women alone, we have to help the boy child,” she adds passionately.
“I do believe that there’s a huge gap. He doesn’t know how to navigate his way through.”
Even mental illness has been on her radar because she has been personally affected by it “and every day fighting through it”.
After obtaining her B Com degree in April, her graduation ceremony dress was a trending topic on social media. The dress was a unique design that had special meaning for her. She later explained on Twitter that the faces on the dress were of all the people in her life who had passed on, including her late sister and father.
She even brings up the untimely death of UCT Professor Bongani Mayosi, who suffered from depression and took his own life at age 51. “It’s now opening up the conversation that you can have so much money, the biggest fame and the greatest accolades but still fight the darkness that is mental illness.”
It’s clear that she’s not afraid to speak about issues that others are afraid to tackle – nothing is off limits for her.
But there are also layers to her personality. Yes, she’s an actress and now a director, but who is the real Nomzamo Mbatha?
She laughs and says, “She’s just a girl from KwaMashu with dreams too big for her own boots, but is willing to go after them anyway”.
And soon she might be expanding her portfolio. Here’s a little something not many will know – the girl can sing.
This interesting titbit is revealed when she admits the one character she would love to portray in a movie is Miriam Makeba “just so that I can try my hand at singing”.
It seems that being inspired by African women runs in her blood. Mbatha rattles off a list of accomplished names when asked which women have been the motivating factors in her life.
“I’m inspired by Nunu Ntshingila (head of Facebook Africa), Khanyi Dhlomo (media mogul), Maria Ramos and Dr Precious Motsepe.”
I ask her how it feels to be a role model for thousands of girls in Mzansi. Is there pressure to act a certain way?
She takes a minute before answering honestly: “Role modelling has been given this perception that you are supposed to be perfect, but a role model is somebody who is imperfect, but is able to work through those imperfections.” “So no, I don’t feel that pressure. “I am more than happy to be an imperfect role model and to fail hard and to fail loud, yet also be able to say ‘this is how I get up’.”