ENOCK Chihombori – the man behind the hilarious Gringo character and comedy of the same name that kept millions of television viewers glued to their screens in fits of laughter over the years — is not a laughing man.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
Had the copyright law been fully enforced in the country, he probably would have been laughing all the way to the bank, too.
But Chihombori — who played the character of Tobby Waters in Gringo — is heartbroken over the unforgiving local arts industry to which he dedicated much of his life.
In a wide-ranging interview with NewsDay at the weekend, Chihombori said his passion had not been rewarding in real terms, so he set his eyes on Botswana, where he is currently working as a draughtsman at a mine.
Although working in Botswana has been putting food on the table for his family, he says, it has surely affected his creative side.
“Creating stories needs time and patience, so only when we are not very busy at the mine do I find time to engage in creative works,” he says.
Chihombori refuted reports he has turned his back on Zimbabwe for good, saying he will return home once his contract runs its full course.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He, however, does not foresee himself working on any film production soon due to the rage of piracy, the bane of many an artiste.
Chihombori experienced first-hand pain that comes with the scourge following the pirating of his hit film, Gringo Troublemaker.
“I’m not sure what the future holds for our Gringo production. At present I can’t afford to produce another film. It’s just not worth it,” he says. “If there are enough incentives, maybe we can do a production for television. That could be the only way we can have another Gringo production. I don’t want to do a production in which the actors and crew members are not paid adequately.”
He says the film industry in Zimbabwe and the arts sector as a whole is limping and desperately needs a helping hand from the government.
“I believe arts should be self-sustaining. If properly administered, arts can actually earn foreign currency for the country,” he says.
Chihombori still nurses fond memories of the golden era of Zimbabwean film out of which top-of-the-drawer productions such as Neria and More Time were birthed.
His dream is to see foreign production companies descending on scenic Zimbabwe to shoot films like what happened during the production of the epic King Solomon’s Mines.
“We can’t continue producing substandard products and hope that one day we will succeed. As artistes, we also need to look ourselves in the mirror and question our own professionalism,” he says.
Botswana, he says, has gone several steps ahead of Zimbabwe in shielding its artistes from pirates.
“The law here is ruthless with anyone found selling pirated Botswana material. In Zimbabwe, we’re quick to say no one can fight piracy, but here we have witnessed the law protecting artistes. Indeed, no one can stop anyone from duplicating music and films, but the law can stop anyone from selling in the streets,” he says.
He says he has personally written letters to the relevant ministry, but was met with deafening silence.
Chihombori says he has not done much following the completion of Gringo Troublemaker in 2013.
In 2014, however, he self–published two books, an animal cartoon story book for children titled Little Hare Stories – Big Trouble at the River and Gringo – Ndozvaanoita, a cartoon book.
Work commitments have forced him to shelve the two scripts he had intended to work on during the course of this year.
The award-winning Chihombori has had a rich creative career, having started off with the Gringo cartoons in Kwayedza in 1989 when he was still at school.
In 1991, he worked for Cochrane Engineering as a draughtsman before going for professional training at the Harare Polytechnic between 1994 and 1997. It was then that he wrote his first Gringo script. In 1998, he left Cochrane and worked for several companies including Airflo Fan Engineers.
“These are the years in which I was quite active in writing and acting. I got into trouble at Airflo when one of my bosses at one time thought I was employed at the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. Balancing my time was tough,” he recalls.
In 2008, he got a job offer at the mine where he now works in Botswana, but he says his heart has always longed for his home.
“I love Zimbabwe. So it was a tough decision to make. In June 2008, I moved with my family to Botswana… The biggest problem is missing home,” Chihombori said.
Adjusting to the life, people, norms, culture and language of a foreign country is never easy, he says and his first days in the Diaspora were tough, but he was able to quickly fit into the rhythm of life as there were many Zimbabweans around.
“The Zimbabwean guys here were very surprised to learn about my presence. They were not quite sure what I had come to do at the mine. I could see that many doubted my abilities,” he recalls.
“I’m usually associated with Gringo and they could not comprehend what an actor and cartoonist was doing at the mine. This at times has compromised my career. Many times I feel and see that some colleagues (who are not familiar with me) tend to question my presence within their midst.”
Chihombori has been married to Noreen since 2000 and the couple is parents to Kimberly (13), Beverley (8) and Angel (3).
