Sishintshile isithothobala esiyiKZN njengoba imboni yemidlalo yethelevishini namafilimu ivuke emaqandeni. ULANGA KHANYILE uyaloba

‘HEY’ wena, Durban

Ebhish’ Kumnand’ eThekwini…”

Laligqoma kanje elinye lamanoni eCJB, iqembu lomculo i-bubblegum, phakathi nama-’80s. Le ngoma ethi Durban eBeach (Kumnandi eThekwini) yayifakazela ukuthi ubumnandi bubuzwa eThekwini ngenxa yokuthi phakathi kwezinye izinto ligabe ngolwandle olucwebile.

Isimo sezulu esifudumele unyaka wonke, uma silibala kancane wumonakalo wokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu esesikubona manje, ulwandle oluluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kwenza iTheku liyizulu elincane. Empeleni akusilo iTheku kuphela eligabe ngalezi zinto njengoba uma ubheka enyakatho yesifundazwe kusukela eBallito kuze kuyoshaya eRichards Bay, yiso leso. Uma usuka eThekwini wehlisa ugu, kunjalo naseScottburgh kuze kuyoshaya koMargate.

Ngale kwesimo sezulu esicwathile nolwandle, isifundazwe siluhlaza cwe; nazi nezintaba zakhona zikushiya ukhexile indlela ezibunjwe. Izilwane zakhona ezidume ngeBig 5 zona singazilibala kanjani? Kodwa-ke ngale kwamagugu emvelo eKwaZulu-Natali, igugu lakhona elikhulu ngabantu bakhona. Bafudumele futhi banethalente elimangalisayo.

Ngeshwa, cishe kuyona yonke imikhakha – njengezemidlalo nezobuciko – leli thalente lidume ngokufudukela eGauteng ukuze libonakale. Mhlawumbe kuhle-kanjalo ukuze izwe lonke, nomhlaba wonke imbala, ukwazi ukuzitika ngalo. Uma singabala izihlabani zaseKZN ezathuthela eGauteng ukuze zigqame, kungaze kubuye izinkomo emadlelweni. Ake sithi halamuzi: uSimon “Mabhunu” Sabela (ongasekho), uCynthia Shange, u-Eric Mcanyana (ongasekho), uDaphney Hlomuka  (ongasekho), uThembi Mtshali-Jones, uJohn Ngcobo, uLindelani Buthelezi (ongasekho), uLeleti Khumalo uBaby Cele, uSelby Mabanga (ongasekho), uSiyabonga Shibe, uLungelo Nxele, uSidumo Mtshali, uNomzamo Mbatha nabanye.

Isimanga kukona konke loku wukuthi ifilimu yokuqala eNingizimu Afrika yathwetshulelwa KwaZulu ngo-1909, njengoba isakhiwo sokuqala sendawo yokudlala amafilimu i-Electric Theatre sakhiwa eThekwini.

Isiko lokwenza amafilimu lidala eThekwini. Kepha ngezizathu, mhlawumbe ezisadinga ucwaningo olubanzi, isifundazwe silandela iGauteng neNtshonalanga Kapa namuhla ngokukhiqiza imidlalo yethelevishini namafilimu.

Nokho kancane kancane iKZN iyavuka emaqandeni manje njengoba imidlalo yethelevishini esematheni namafilimu awundabizekwayo avutshelwa kulesi sifundazwe manje. Phakathi kwayo singaba Uzalo, Imbewu, iDurban Gen (eqale ukuvezwa ku-e.tv kule nyanga), kuthi emafilimini anedumela ashuthelwe eKZN kungabalwa  iSpud, iZulu Lami, iShe is King, iLove Lives Here.

UZalo lube yivulandlela kuloku kushintsha kwesithothobala esiyiKZN. Lo mdlalo weStained Glass, kaPepsi Pokane noGugu Zuma-Ncube, ube neqhaza elikhulu ukuthi kube sesitayeleni ukuthi kube nomdlalo wethelevishini ovutshelwe eKZN (KwaMashu). Emva kwedumela lawo kulandele iHostela, Imbewu neminye. Lo mdlalo owuchungechunge ugcine uhehe izinkakha ekulingiseni. Phakathi kwazo singabala uDon Mlangeni Nawa, uGlen Gabela, uBaby, uLeleti noMasoja Msiza, uMpumelelo Bhulose noBheki Mkhwane.

Okuhle nokuqaphelekayo wukuthi nakuba kugcwele izinkakha kodwa nabalingisi abasafufusa baningi kulo mdlalo oke waqopha umlando ufinyelela kubabukeli abawu-10 million eNingizimu Afrika. Uveze nethuba emathimbeni athwebulayo, akhanyisayo, awomsindo neminye imisebenzi ngale kokulingisa.

Ngemva kwaloko sibone omunye umdlalo omusha ovutshelwe eThekwini (othwetshulelwa eMlaza, eMbumbulu naseChatsworth) Imbewu. Lo mdlalo, ophekwa yiGrapevine Productions (ehlanganise iWord of Mouth Productions, iVideovision Entertainment neLuyks Productions), ugabe ngezingwazi zabalingisi njengoThembi Mtshali-Jones, uTony Kgoroge noLeleti. NjengoZalo, Imbewu igabe ngabalingisi abasafufusa abanekhono abaningi.

UNgqongqoshe wezokuthuthukiswa koMnotho, ezokuVakasha nezeMvelo KwaZulu-Natal uNkk uNomusa Dube-Ncube, owengamele iKZN Film Commission, uthe: “Lesi sifundazwe sesiyikhaya lokuthwebula amafilimu amafishane nezikhangiso zeTV. Ukwanda kwamafilimu nezikhangiso ezishuthelwa lapha wukuthi ukushutha ifilimu eNingizimu Afrika kungaphansi ngamaphesenti awu-30 kuya kwawu-40 uma kuqhathaniswa nase-Europe nase-United States.”

Uqhube wathi umnyango, ngophiko lwawo iKZN Film Commission, lunoxhaxha lwezinhlelo zokugqugquzela izinkampani eziqophayo ukuthi zisebenzise iKZN.

Iyasimama le mboni njengoba ifaka imali emnothweni wesifundazwe. Ngonyaka wezimali ka-2019/20 imidlalo namafilimu okuvutshelwe eKZN kufake uR28.6 million. Lapha kubalwa iZulu Wedding (efake uR10.5m), i-Uncovered (engenise uR7m), iKeeping up with the Kandasamys – the Wedding (efake uR9,8m), iKings of Mulberry Street (efake uR8.4m) iLove Lives Here (efake uR6.7m), i-3 Days to Go (efake uR6m) neDeep End (efake uR5.4m). 

Uyini lo moya ovunguzayo kwezethelevishini namafilimu eKZN? UMBELE uzame ukuthola imibono yabantu abakule mboni ngokudlondlobala kwale mboni eKZN, inani layo, ubuhle, izinselelo nekusasa.

Izinkampani ezipheka imidlalo evelele eKZN iStained Glass neGrapevine zithintiwe ukuze ziphawule. Ezinye zithembisile, ezinye zahlehlisa kwaze kwashaya isikhathi sokushicilela zingaphendulile. Nabanye abalingisi abaphawulanga uma becelwa.

UKgoroge, obelingisa indawo kaZimele Bhengu kwImbewu, uthe: “IKZN iyindawo ekhethekile kakhulu; ayifani nezinye. Ziningi izinto ezinhle ezenzeka eKZN; kusukela kuhulumeni wakhona noMasipala waseThekwini; engijwayele ukusebenzisana nawo, nabanye omasipala. Into enhle abayenzayo wukuthi akunamicikilisho eminingi ngokufakwa nokuphendula izicelo zezindawo zokushutha nezinye izinto ezinjalo. Lesi sifundazwe siyayeseka imboni yokwenza imidlalo yethelevishini namafilimu.

“Okunye okuhle okwenzeka eKZN wukuthi kunethalente eliningi, ngisho nabalingisi abangakufundelanga esikoleni. Liyamangalisa ithalente eligcwele kulesi sifundazwe.

“Enye into enhle wukuthi lesi sifundazwe sinezindawo ezinhle zokushutha; yinhle imvelo eKZN kanti lapha kusenento yokuziqhenya ngesiko. Akufani naseGoli, lapho wonke umuntu egcwele ubudolobha nobulokishi khona. Isiko lalapha alikadungeki. Le nto uyibona ngisho kushaywa indlamu. Indlamu yaseKZN ayifani neyaseGauteng; lapha abantu basina kuvuke uhlevane kuwena obukelayo. Kumqoka loku ngoba kuhambisana nokuthi ngemikhiqizo yethu, kufanele sixoxe izindaba zethu ngeso lethu, hhayi ngelaseMelika noma ngelase-Europe. Ayikho into ebuhlungu uma kuhlangenwe ezithangamini zamaciko nabantu baphesheya bese ubezwa bethi ‘ayikho into enobu-Afrika emidlalweni yenu’.”

Lesi sihlabani somlingisi emidlalweni enjengeSidingo namafilimu iHotel Rwanda, iBlood Diamond, i-Invinctus neMandela: Long Walk to Freedom neminye sithe: “Enye into enhle ngokudlondlobala kwemboni yaseKZN ngamathuba avulekayo kweminye imikhakha yemboni njengabathwebuli, ophrojusa, ababhali nabathunga izimpahla ezigqokwa kule midlalo. Nokho kusenomsebenzi wokuthi kusimame le mikhakha.”

Noma zikhona izinto ezinhle ngalesi sifundazwe, pho yiziphi izinselelo ezikhona? UKgoroge, ongumnikazi weBlack Bench Productions nomkakhe uSthandiwe Msomi uthe: “Inselelo enkulu ekhona ngeKZN wukuthi ayifani neCape Town ngoba ayinazo izitudiyo zokuthwebula nokuqopha.”

Umlingani kwaKgoroge kwiMbewu noqale ukuvelela emidlalweni yeshashalazi uMduduzi Nombela (uPhunyuka Khanyile) uthe: “Kuyiqiniso ukuthi kancane kancane le mboni eKZN iyasimama, njengoba iGoli beliyisikhondlakhondla.

“Thina njengamaciko kusinika inselelo (enhle) yokuthi sikhuphule izinga; silibambe. Kodwa iyodwa into engikhala ngayo – wukuthi abantu bakithi (eKZN) abakaqondi ukuthi ukulingisa kuwumsebenzi. Kuhlale kungihlukumeza ukuzwa umuntu engimema ukuthi ngizonandisa emcimbini wakhe kodwa angayiphathi eyemali,” kuphetha uNombela, wodumo lweBay of Plenty, Uzalo neLove Lives Here neminye.

Uma amadudu aseGoli alivuma kudala iTheku aze athi “Kumnand’ eThekwini”, sengathi kusazoba mnandi eKZN; ithathe indawo yayo yokuba yivulandlela kwezokuthwebula kamafilimu.