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Motswako celebrates its tenth season in style!

I had the rare privilege of spending two days and one night of luxury, lusciousness and laughter at the Westcliff Hotel last week courtesy of Mostwako, SABC2 and Old Mutual. Motswako, the second most popular talk show on SABC celebrated its tenth season with a diva-licious bash to end all bashes.

First, I must let you in on a secret. About a month ago I, along with a bevy of black female celebs, auditioned for the position of presenter on Mostwako. I had a fantastic time, which is never ever the case with auditions. Carol Bower Productions is so classy that they even gave us party packs courtesy of Avon after we answered their cattle call. As I walked out of the studio, I told the panel, who was still giggling long after the cameras had stopped rolling, that if they don’t hire me they should hire Busi Mahlaba because she is fabulous.

Fast-forward to the 26th of March and I find myself eating cake and sipping tea with some of the shiniest, jiggiest black babes in business, media and entertainment. Carol Bower knows how to make a sister feel like a million bucks. So even though I didn’t get the job, I was very happy to toast my friend Busi who is now, officially, the newest addition to the Motswako family. I will always have a soft spot for Busi. She was the brain behind my column at True Love. Two years ago she told me that I have the freedom to write about anything and everything, as long as my words feel as soulful and real as queens cakes at Christmastime. She is also the woman who told me that she was proud to have me as a voluptuous woman rocking her own hair on the cover. Big up Busi! The future can only get better.

And big up to Carol Bower! In an industry where so many of the talented people we see on our screens live paycheck to paycheck for decades, it takes a woman with balls to start her own business and thrive.

The celebrations began with high tea on Thursday afternoon, followed by a birthday dinner complete with a keynote address by Graca Machel. Mam’Graca epitomizes the delicate balance between regal and real. It’s very easy to get caught up in superficiality, especially when you are being feted at the Westcliff. Ms. Machel challenged all of the women in the audience to use our lives to contribute positively to the lives of women on the African continent.

She said, “The two biggest challenges in our world today are – achieving equality in terms of race and achieving equality in terms of gender. That is the bridge we have not crossed in the 21st century.”

She also provoked all of us who wear our CVs on our foreheads to forget about our legacies. She said, “I don’t know what my legacy is and I don’t care. What I want is to go to bed with peace at night and to know that I did the best that I can.”

Mandela’s number one lady sparked a fire that carried on burning the next day when we had our round table discussion. How do we, as women who occupy positions of power and influence, set an agenda for women in South Africa collectively? Hmmm… I can smell a feminist movement brewing. This question still remains with me. I am curious to know what you think about this.

We dove into the issues head on. Demons and gems emerged. A lot was said about how black women don’t support one another. I personally think that PHD syndrome has a lot to do with the kinds of women you choose to surround yourself with. Black women have been instrumental to my development as an artist and as a human being. I wouldn’t be who I am without their love and support.

Mohau Pheko said, “I don’t buy into the notion of empowerment. Everyone has power wherever they are.”

Rural women, girl children and older women were focal points of the discussions and everyone agreed that it is impossible to enable women to be their best selves without education.

I don’t think we left with any semblance of a solid agenda, but I do think that the conversation served a purpose. Even if it was just to let the women in the room know that we are not crazy for caring about women or crazy for wanting our society to embrace women’s issues. And it most certainly is not crazy to want to include men in the conversation.

Sibongile Khumalo said, “My father is the first feminist I knew. Because of the way he raised me, because of the way he treated my mother, and because of the knowledge he imbued in me that ‘Yes I can!’”

P.S. You don’t know a woman until you have seen her kick off her shoes and get down. I mean way waywayway down. I won’t name names but I will say that everyone has an inner mshoza inside of them who is just waiting for the right song to play so that she can show her true colours. Mine came out on Thursday night! Hallelujah!

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