AN adage that stars are not made, but born appears to be true for Gweru-bred actress, Bathabile Dlamini (24), who believes she was born gifted for the stage. She is also a model and dancer.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Dlamini scooped her maiden award as the country’s best actress in the theatre category at the 2015 edition of the prestigious National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) for her role of Zinkabi in UMbiko kaMadlenya production.
NewsDay Weekender Arts Reporter, Winstone Antonio (ND), caught up with Dlamini (BD) who spoke at length on her career among other issues and below are excerpts from the interview:
ND: Who is Bathabile Dlamini in brief?
BD: Bathabile Dlamini is a humble, ambitious 24-year-old Journalism and Media student at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust).
ND: How best can you describe yourself in three words?
BD: Go Getter Girl
- 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
ND: How did you venture into acting?
BD: My involvement in acting began as a joke. I remember it was in 2009 when my high school teacher, Thabani Moyo, gave me a script to internalise. I was scared and nervous because as much as I was a regular drama club member, I was comfortable as solely a dancer. (Oh yes, I was a solo award-winning hip-hop dancer at high school). However, I would say taking up that role in 2009 marked the beginning of my involvement in acting. The play was presented in 2010 during Intwasa/Plan High Schools drama competition. Although it was my first time on stage, I walked away with an award for best supporting actress. Winning encouraged me to explore my God-given talent. I find joy and happiness in how my stage presence makes people happy. I believe my purpose is to live up to my name Bathabile which means “Happiness”.
ND: How did you become part of the UMbiko kaMadlenya cast?
BD: I never thought I would pull it off as the people who watched the play would often say. During auditions, the producer, Raisedon Baya, initially doubted if I could play Zinkabi. Honestly, playing Zinkabi was challenging. I could tell from the outset that the character was a complete opposite of me. Zinkabi is best described as “Lady Macbeth” — as she was an individual who would do anything to attain power. ND: You seem to have been keeping a low profile lately?
BD: I have not been active lately because of academic commitments. My silence in 2015 was both for personal and communal gain. This, however, affected my acting career the entire year. I was on internship in Harare and United States of America (US), but in the US it was both an internship and a Global Undergraduate Exchange Programme. The stay in States opened opportunities for me to represent the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), the nation and continent at large as I was listed in the 2016 Global UGRAND honour roll of International Students with a GPA above 3.75. I only became active late this year at the Intwasa Arts Festival doing a stage adaptation of George Mujajati’s novel, The Sun Will Rise Again. My silence in theatre was also a result of my communal involvement at Nust. When I returned from United States, I managed to introduce a Television and Radio club called the Student Run Networks (STUDENT-RUN’ET). This club seeks to provide students with Television and Radio production skills while at the same time bridging information gap. I had challenges in applying television and radio production theoretical knowledge while on attachment because our department offer limited skill set as the department does not have equipment. There is more print practice than broadcast.
ND: You were featured in an episode of RoundaboutU, Murray State’s TV station, how was the experience?
BD: This helped me gain tremendous experience in TV production. With help from my supervisor, Shasta O’Neal, I would write scripts, shoot, host interviews, and edit the productions. I love how the whole procedure was Do-It-Yourself (DIY) set-up. Interns were expected to do everything on their own and meet story submission deadlines. From that whole experience, I have found my new talent
ND: What is your word of encouragement to aspiring actors?
BD: One has to focus on what she or he has and the rest will fall in intended places. Most importantly, when one has a vision, believe it and act on it.
