Now that everyone and their grandmother are making reality TV shows, it is only the good ones that bring in the numbers. The time for people flaunting their riches is over and more realistic TV is making it big in South African. This is why you should tune into Mzansi Magic’s Utatakho, a reality show about reuniting children with their biological fathers that is hosted by kwaito legend Bonginkosi Dlamini, aka Zola (pictured).
“What attracted me to this show are human stories. There are still a lot of things that South Africa needs to talk about. I am concerned mostly about the black youth and the dialogues we must be having. The rites of passage are a problem in this country. There are traditional steps or ceremonies that we have to have as Africans when raising a child. All other cultures and faiths around the world have managed to preserve this except for us,” he said.
For him, the problem of fatherless households in South Africa stems from the country’s dark past and until that is rectified, Zola feels nothing will change.
“In South Africa, so many black families were displaced in the past so there is no sense of family like we were before colonisation. Black people lived in villages as clans and young men were guided by uncles and grandfathers. We don’t have communities today. Thanks to migration, young men have moved to cities and no one is there to guide them when it comes to issues around manhood, where fatherhood is also an important aspect of manhood,” explained Zola, who is a father himself.
Given that this is a sensitive topic, Zola did admit that a lot of people who are covered on the show get emotional and express themselves in various ways.
“We are getting a bit of fights. I see a lot of men who are hurt and in deep pain. They are coming out and want to talk about their fatherhood, whether it is a missing father or child. A lot of people don’t like going to court because once it gets there things are officially ugly. So ugly that you now require a system to help you make decisions for yourself,” he said.
When Utatakho takes on a case, it is usually from women with children that they need to reunite with their fathers, or the children insisting on finding their roots. As a rule, DNA tests are taken to prove the paternity in question and Zola feels that this is only fair.
“The modern man wants to talk, he wants to take care of his child so DNA is justified. Sometimes people say things that are so hurtful it takes years to heal,” he said.
That said, the host also admitted that there are instances when men are at fault and they need to be coerced into being responsible individuals.
“There are also men who embarrass us and walk away from their responsibilities as fathers. So the women they had kids with are justified to ask for DNA tests to prove who the fathers of the kids are. After the DNA result comes back positive it becomes a legal matter because by law any man who has a child has to take care of that child. We are desperate as fathers to put pressure on irresponsible men to do what is expected of them,” he said.
What you will see on Utatakho is a lot of pain and anger that no scriptwriter could manufacture. While family reunions are usually a good thing, sometimes they open deep wounds, as Zola has noticed.
“Some dialogues are decades late. I sit with grown men who say things that a 40-year-old should not be saying about his father or his surname. They want their rites of passage yet they don’t know who their fathers are. Yet their counterparts in the corporate world, be they Jewish, Muslim or whatever, have these cultural roots which are still intact. So these young back men are thinking that with everything that they have achieved they still feel incomplete,” he said.
“We have only shot four episodes, but I am going to be travelling the entire country looking at helping rebuild broken families. Just to show you how serious this show is, I am already getting calls and texts from people asking me to help them with their situations yet the show hasn’t even started yet,” he explained.
Given that he is on Isibaya and is now signing up for this new show, Zola is a busy man and gives his team the credit for making sure he commits to his duties.
“I have a good team at Guluva Entertainment that keep me grounded. My family at Isibaya also allow me to have time to shoot this show, so I have a good balance,” he said.
After shying away from TV hosting for years, Zola was brave to do this one because it is close to his heart and in turn his fans will be more than delighted.
“I think my fans are going to be happy to see me on TV. They have asked for that for the longest time. There were so many campaigns online titled “Bring Zola Back” or “Leave Zola Alone” so this show is a victory for them. I need them to know that I am in a very peaceful place. I am doing a show that I am passionate about,” he said.
l Utatakho premieres on Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) on July 7 at 7.30pm.