City honours actor

Arthur Molepo went to see a play. And was surprised when it featured a ceremony to honour him for his role in the entertainment industry.
THE popular actor and scriptwriter Arthur Molepo has received a surprise gift from the City’s department of community development – a certificate of honour for the 40 years he has contributed to the growth of South Africa’s theatre and entertainment industry.

MMC Chris Vondo presents Arthur Molepo with a certificate of appreciation (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)MMC Chris Vondo presents Arthur Molepo with a certificate of honour (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)Molepo received the certificate from the member of the mayoral committee for community development, Chris Vondo, at a ceremony that ran concurrently with the official opening of the Festival of One Man Shows at the Joburg Theatre Complex’s Space.Com in Braamfontein on 23 August.
The Festival of One Man Shows features one-man performances that pay homage to award-winning directors and actors who have contributed significantly to the theatre industry and who have paved the way for young artists to grow in the industry.

Vondo commended Molepo for helping younger artists and for leaving an indelible mark in the entertainment circle. “It fills me with great joy that the organisers of this festival have also chosen to honour this imposing figure on our theatre stages, television and film,” he said.

He spoke highly of Molepo and his peers, who had shown courage during the difficult period of apartheid. During these times they continued to be the voice of reason through stage, provided edu-tainment “as well as selflessly sharing their experiences with budding actors”.

Molepo has starred in a number of television series and theatre shows, including The Lab, Generations, Soul City, Hijack Stories, Mapantsula, Scorched Earth and Sisyphus. Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Molepo said: “This is an honour I did not expect. I was just coming to watch a show but it really touches and speaks to my heart.”

He shared a bit about the first time he performed, at the Donaldson Community Centre in Orlando, Soweto.

“During rehearsals we were so relaxed and excited about the performance, but when the day of the performance came, we were so scared. I remember we were all just clucked in a corner and very scared to face the audience.”

His first show was directed by Jerry Raletebele, a well-known director who has directed plays at the annual National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Vondo also encouraged young artists to make use of all the facilities and channels made available by the City. He said Space.Com’s aim was to empower up-and-coming artists from disadvantaged communities.

He also spoke about the City’s “ambitious project”, the GDS2040 public participation drive on its Growth and Development Strategy. One aim of the initiative is to ensure that public facilities are accessible and that they are open at useful times.

“We don’t want these facilities to be viewed as being exclusionary and therefore serving the elite. Therefore, I would urge you all to join us on an ongoing ambitious programme to get Joburg citizens to participate in public discussions whose aim is to make our city a liveable place.”

The GDS is the City’s long-term plan to ensure sustainable delivery of services, deal with social and economic development, involve residents in local government and promote a safe and healthy environment.

To find out more about events and activities taking place during the initiative, as well as more about the GDS, you can go to the Facebook page or follow the GDS2040 on Twitter, @GDS2040. It also has a website.