Muvhango is sinking!

 

 

You need to understand that this is the hardest post I have written, not only because I am Venda and feel like I am against my culture’s participation and advancement in modern day TV. But also because I grew up watching Muvhango. My family and I watched it from the Pilot episode so there is a sense of patriotism, but even the shows that we love so dearly tend to grow dull and storylines get boring, this can often hurt especially after investing time, emotions and TV license bills to these shows. Wait do people really pay their TV license?

 

Today, I can’t watch an episode of Muvhango without getting bored and drifting. (if you read my previous post about Generations the forced legacy I commended Muvhango for minimum amount of SLNV but whatever, doesn’t mean it’s a great show still)

But like all romantic flings, It started off well

Lets go down the memory lane, that’s all we have remaining, just memories..

80% of the characters were Tshivenda speaking. It started with Mashudu Mukwevho(Paul Mafela) as the one time leading character who introduced some of the beloved leading characters i.e Azwinndini, Lambani, Vho-Maswigiri, Vho-Mukondeleli, Vho-Makhadzi and also the other 20% who were mainly Sotho speakers i.e Catherine, Doris, Malome Tshepo etc. This was an awesome thing to watch; Venda people being given a voice and face on national television which was rare back then. If you watch the show and compare it to the pilot episode, you wouldn’t recognize it, its evolved into Ke bona boloi or Bophelo ke semphego, even the venda characters now speak Sesotho, Sepedi..Ndalamo, Rendani , Hangwani, Gundo, where did the casting manager find those venda people? In Diepkloof?

Vho-Maswigiri with Borosi and Ntakuseni

 

It was edutainment at first, originally focused the tensions between the traditional Mukwevho family and the Mokoena family who are western orientated. Mashudu was in a polygamous marriage with Vho-Masindi and Catherine, with both wives oblivious to that fact, when he passed on the whole story focused on the fight for Chieftaincy, Educating people about the divine right of chiefs, rituals around funerals, weddings, birth, etc. Today the writers have strayed from that idea. Its now all about competition between two wheat, construction companies(I don't really know what they do), I can’t write enough how much I hate this recycled crap. Duma borrowed it from Mfundi, boys pleaseeee..

 

It also focused on the oral tradition of the Vhavenda people and some traditional practices, not exaggerated myths like the traditional doctor Mulimisi turning into a splash of water and Chief Azwinndini turning into lion. I can’t mention enough what damage these horrendous portrayal of my culture is doing to our already tarnished reputation as a strange and mystical culture, the effect it has on naïve non-venda audience.

 

I’m having to constantly defend my people. Television is the window through which we view the world and this window broadcasting Muvhango is blurry, big time. Someone please get Duma Ka Ndlovu some glass scrubbers.

The guy who plays Vhangani portrayed the role of Azwinndini in the pilot episode few years later was recast as Vhangani, the Chief’s side kick.

For those who came late to the party, one way Muvhango insults our intelligence is by replacing people to play the same character, I don’t know about you, I get attached to good acting but I can accept it if my favourite character dies what is unacceptable is when one character is played by 9 different people. So Azwinndini wasn’t portrayed Gabriel Temudzani, Edward was Glen Lewis(The Pedi-Venda snob), Vhangani wasn’t always Ramunenyiwa whats his face?. Doobsie was replaced twice, first by Khanyi Mbau and then by Khabonina Kubekha, i'm glad they finally honoured the late Lindiwe Chibi’s legacy and scratched Doobsie off. What kind of name was Doobsie anyways? It did reek trouble, well done Duma on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still on the character side of things, both families had an outspoken, dominating figure, Vho-Maswigiri aka Vho-Ratshitanga and Doris Mokoena. These two were really captivating to watch.

 

No bad deed escapes the eye of the Magistrate court in Muvhango. In other words..too much Magistrate courts.
I remember in one of the earliest episodes of the show when Vho-Maswigiri/Vho-Ratshitanga (R.I.P Tendani Mukwevho, true Legend) was shaming Gizara and Borosi on why Mashudu’s burial is delayed “hee hee ro imela mukhuwa, hee hee ro imela Khothe, ndi nonsontse!!”(its nonsense waiting for a white man or the magistrate court). That man tried to warn us not to get involved with courts and all…. I will agree to the fact that this has dialed down recently since Kkomotso's case, although I would have loved to still see the Chief still represented in resolving Civic cases not just his family matters, after all what are chiefs there for if not to manage their rural community?

 

 

And lastly! No yellowbones in Venda? Sies Muvhango!!! This drama had us believe there are no light-skinned women in the entire tribe....but Vhafuwi's "original" mother was a yellowbone! lol...(the woman sitting behind her is Vho-Sarah, Gizara's estranged wife, who was also a yellowbone)

 

I am still gonna watch, to criticize ofcourse ;-)

Overall, thanks to Duma KaNdlovu for putting Venda on the map. now its only 5 minutes to drive from Gauteng to Thohoyandou(according to Muvhango)

 

Thanks for reading guys!