I visit the set of Muvhango and chat about Facebook and more, with Muvhango stars. In conversation is Neo Modimogale (Nomusa), Nthabiseng Mphahlele (Meiki), Mahumela Mahuwa (Susan), Rapulana Seiphemo (Pheko) and Millicent Makhado (Agnes). I have since learnt that Millicent will be marrying her sweetheart in a white wedding and traditional ceremony on 5 and 6 February 2011. The venues are Atteridgeville (Bride’s home) and Polokwane (Groom’s home) respectively and if my class on Saturday comes out early, I may just attend.
I just had to crop this picture so I shouldn't get in trouble with powers people that be.
I just have to thank Phathu for making my set visit an enjoyable moment though this story isn't the main I visited the set. I got this story by default so all thanks to Phathu!
Execitive Summary: A Facebook-er tells Nthabi he wants to be more than just friends. Neo is asked for a morning glory, Millicent has no Facebook comment as she is only on Facebook Mzansi Style and Rapulana tells us how he deals with women who inbox him funny messages (and pictures perhaps). Nthabi makes it clear who the star of the chat is while Millicent is reserved (maybe thinking about her upcoming wedding, who knows!)
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Clementine Mosimane-Zitha and Nthabiseng Mphahlele. Nthabi has a Facebook stalker who told her she is a waste of skin.
I introduce myself and tell them that for the purpose of this interview, my name is Makisto and make it very clear that every word will be printed and nothing will be edited and the actors are only happy to agree to my terms. Nthabi started off the chat…
Nthabi: There is this guy who inboxed me on Facebook and said he sent a friend request. The thing is if I don’t know you. I don’t accept. He wrote that he wants to be friends and I explained I don’t befriend anyone and he said I’m gonna inbox you every day until you accept me and get to know me. He updated me daily about what was happening in his life starting from his shopping to his medical appointments. He was just sending me random information and...
Makisto: How does that make you feel? Where you scared or...
Nthabi: No I wasn’t scared. Actually I thought the poor guys was just lonely and needed someone to talk to. I never replied to his messages because you know your Facebook profile is just public if you don’t privatise it.
Makisto: You need to privatise it mos, Nthabi. I have privatised mine because people’s personal information gets stolen on Facebook.
Nthabi: I didn’t even know how to do that.
Neo and Makisto: You go to settings on your page.
Neo Modimogale plays Adv Nomusa. Neo often gets steamy inboxes of Facebook
Nathibi: Everyday for about two months he sent me a message daily updating me about how his taxi fare was...
Makisto: Did you reply though?
Nthabi: I never replied. He would tell me about how a lady in a taxi got robbed of her change and how she caused a scene and about how she wants her money. I was like oh, ok. Then suddenly he sent a message asking why I’m not replying to his messages. (Nthabi and I burst out laughing as she knows how to dramatise. You guys should have heard her voice). I was called all names under the sun from a whore, Satan’s first born (I just went tjo) and he said I was a waste of skin. I was insulted and he said I don’t deserve to live. He said who the hell do I think I am. People on TV think they can treat people whichever way they choose.
Makisto: Did you give him an impression that you can treat him whichever way you choose?
Neo and Millicent: A-a-a-a-a-a!!!!!!! Makisto, you are a real journalist. How can you ask that?
Makisto: I just want to confirm and maybe probe a bit.
Nthabi: Makisto, I never replied to his messages and I never said anything thing to him. The only thing I ever did was ignore his messages and friend requests. He is the first person I knew how to block.I didn’t know you can block a person on Facebook so I reported him to Facebook.
Millicent Makhado is getting married on Saturday and Sunday. She has no Facebook comment.
Makisto: What did Facebook say?
Nthabi: They said I should send them the messages and after that, they said they would remove him.
Makisto: Did they remove his profile?
Nthabi: Yes they removed his profile.
Makisto: Do you still have the messages?
Nthabi: No I no longer have his messages. They were very insulting and very graphic. You are a proper journalist. What do you want the messages for?
Makisto: (Laughs) But I am just asking you know, because people may want to see them messages.
Nthabi: Mahumela has a fan page where she can interact with fans. So her fans turn to bombard my page. I then said to Mahumela that I am going to remove you as a friend because everybody who is your friend think my page is also open. My Facebook page is private so I can chat with people I choose to chat to. Also, Gabriel’s friends (Gabriel is Chief Azwindini) do the same thing. I sometimes get 100 requests and I’m like I don’t know these 100 people.
Mahumela likes talking with her Facebook friends and showing them how her nails look like
Makisto: How many friends do you have on Facebook Nthabi?
Nathibi: I think I have about 82 (I checked during the time of our interview and it was indeed 82). I only befriend people I went to school with and my friends. I’m very private (I then thought of Blaqueboi’s take on stars wanting privacy)
Makisto: (Turning to Neo) How many friends do you have Neo?
Neo: Mine is public.
Makisto: Is it a public page or your personal page?
Neo: People have been inboxing me saying why don’t you respond bluh bluh bluh... So I started accepting everyone and I started updating my status saying I’m at work doing this or that. They also ask questions and when I do have enough time, I respond. There is this woman who has been hounding me.
Makisto: What does she say?
Neo: She says I love me and why don’t I reply to her messages. Say hi to Thandaza. Please send me your phone numbers.
Makisto: Did you send them to her?
Neo: Nooooo!
Makisto: Why?
Neo: A a a a (expressing shock lol). Because I cannot just give away my cell number just like that.
Nthabi: A! Makisto
Makisto: Phela this is a story and this is a question I would ask myself if I was reading a story of this nature.
Neo: People need to understand that we are not bad people if we don’t reply to their messages. Everyday they go to work, they talk to people they want to talk to and when they leave work they leave work, at work! With us, people want to call us at any time including odd hours. If I’m on Facebook at midnight, people wanna chat.
Rapulana says now that Muvhango is kissing, he decided to come back so he could kiss all the ladies from the Mukwevho Holdings receptionist to the CEO. (Scene 3)
(Rapulana Seiphemo approaches us as our conversations seems appealing to him.)
Neo: When I can respond I do respond but sometimes I just want to check my updates and go to sleep.
Makisto: Ok, how many friends did you say you have?
Neo: I don’t know anymore. (After the interview she sent me an invite and I accepted. I then went through her profile and realised she has just over 800 friends.)
Makisto: Do you keep track of what they do and comment on their status(es).
Neo: No I don’t.
Makisto: Mahumela, how many friends do you have on Facebook.
Nthabi and Neo: She has over 4 000.
Mahumela: Tjo, Facebookers! If you don’t reply they will go like: You are undermining us. Who do you think you are. (lols)
Makisto: You kidding! You are my friend on Facebook but I hardly comment on your status updates because I will suddenly receive over 100 updates on my gmail because people comment on your status. This other day you posted a pictures of your nails. What was that all about?
Makisto and Phathu. Phathu made sure Makisto felt at home.
Mahumela: I was saying to these other guys that I want to learn how to play a guitar and I said I wanna cut my nails. They said I don’t even have nails and they said, post them, let’s see.
(Rapulana comes closer.)
Makisto: And wena Rapulana. You have over 5 000 friends. Don’t you?
Rapulana: No no! But now I want to create a fan page.
Makisto: When are you creating it?
Rapulana: I will create it tonight (But the page still hasn’t been created when I posted this article which is about two weeks later).
Makisto: I sent you a friend request but you didn’t accept. She (Pointing at Nthabi) and she (Mahumela) accepted.
Deleted Scene: Ndivhuo Mutsila (Albert) and Gabriel's scene was deleted during the final cut.
Rapulana: I accept everybody.
Makitso: I will then have to go check my list of friends (I just checked and Raps isn’t my friend of Facebook)
Mahumela: There is one thing that I would like Facebook to do for us. We should have something that says (it is called a menu item lol) accept all or ignore all. Sometimes I get over 500 friends requests per day.
Rapulana: Look at you. You are all beautiful and you can’t blame these poor guys who wanna be your Facebook friends. And even girls can be swept over their feet by you guys.
Coming up next in Scene 2: Women hitting on Rapulana on Facebook and how he deals with them. Mahumela's song in the Lejade and the Favoured ensemble makes it on Top 5 in Capricon FM. Neo on SABC News versus ENews and why she would rather follow tweets than 800 people's updates on Facebook.
Then...
Scene 3: Muvhango stars in the nude with Makisto while talking about Sondeza and why Rapulana would kiss all Muvhango ladies. Plus, Mahumela’s take on South African and Western porn. Phila (Spha) dazzles me with his own Muvhango version.
Pictures through Makisto's lens and SABC 2