Africa-Press – Lesotho. MANY Basotho will recall a late 2000s Lesotho Television anti-drug abuse advert in which Shoaepane ‘Schweppes’ Sehahle plays a dirty drug addict with unkempt dreadlocks.
The memorable part of the advert is where Sehahle staggers until he falls down, crawls and the camera zooms out a scared facial expression as Sehlahle cries out: E nkenile Baba!
E nkenile Baba, a Sesotho-Zulu pidgin meaning “it has entered me, Father”, became a derogatory name for many drunken, dirty people, especially those with dreadlocks.
Sehahle had, prior to the anti-drug abuse advert, been featuring in many theatre and screen dramas but it is this humorous advert that saw him rise to fame countrywide.
For many, primary or secondary education is what they consider a foundation for the future. Sehahle from Sea-Point in Maseru, is not an exception. “My calling to be an actor was cultivated during my high school years,” he said.
At Sefika High School, the school’s policy was to compel every learner to engage in at least one extra-curricular activity. It was common for boys to join sporting or music activities.
But since Sehahle was gifted in neither, he opted to join the drama and debating club. He soon realised that acting ran in his veins once he joined the club.
“I gave it my all during rehearsals and my confidence grew robustly.
” After completing high school and in dire need of employment, Sehahle went to look for general work in Rustenburg, South Africa, but it was in vain.
He felt it was time to return home and do whatever it would take him to have a decent life. He went on to work as a volunteer at the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association (LPPA), where he was a peer educator in health awareness.
It was a move that opened doors for him into the mainstream film industry. “My work at LPPA was to disseminate information through adverts that were played on Lesotho TV from 2008.
“I then began to be recognised and many producers began to identify my acting talent, the likes of Silas Monyatsi and Lilaphalapha,” he said.
From presenting adverts for organisations, Sehahle featured as an actor in Kau la Poho where he played the starring role. “It posed a lot of challenges since I was then a rookie who was performing with more experienced and professional actors.
“What bothered me most was that I was always supposed to be on set due to the role I was playing,” he recalled.
The synopsis of the story was about a young lad entrapped in ruinous city life and cohabiting with a girlfriend. In the name of money, he gave away his girlfriend to an elderly man.
In the twist of events it turned out the man was a friend to his father, which made matters awful. He was the lead actor known as Mojalefa, Jeff, a notorious guy who moved from a rural area to town where he worked as a taxi driver.
He came to live a city life of alcoholism and prostitution that saw him ultimately acquire HIV. Then, there was still a lot of stigma around HIV/AIDS and people began to discriminate against him in real life.
His social life began to be negatively impacted as some people would not want to associate with him on social platforms as the character had depicted him as a reckless young man.
“People did not understand the fact that what one performs as an actor is per script and does not necessarily apply to their real lives.
“They unknowingly construed that to be applicable in my real life situation,” he said. Despite this, he lauds the film for giving him a breakthrough into the industry.
According to Sehahle, acting is one of the most innovative industries which mostly presents leisure activities and opens frontiers to the world. “It only requires one to be creative, ambitious as well as (versatile).
It needs one to always follow the latest trends around the globe in different spheres of life. “As an actor, you need to give the profession your all.
“Being adaptable to different situations by doing independent research about backgrounds of characters you are tasked to portray helps.
Sehahle believes it is ideal to always nourish one’s art by joining training sessions such as workshops to stay up to date with contemporary matters that are involved in acting.
“As the world is evolving, so too is the profession. Therefore one doesn’t have to rest on their laurels once they have broken through on to the screen. ”
Sehahle has featured in several local film productions which have stood out. He is more popular in documentaries and comedy video strips. He has by far managed to play different characters with success due to determination he has towards his acting profession.
“In all films I took part in, I have always managed to efficiently portray the character I had been expected to play.
But among them, I think I managed to excel more in Lilaphalapha, Kau La Poho and It’s Not A Burial: It’s A Resurrection. “To be honest, I’ve always given my best shot in all films I’ve been scripted.
” For Sehahle to remain noticeable in his performances, he always drew admiration from American actor and producer Samuel Leroy Jackson.
He says Jackson is one actor who makes acting look easy as he is able to perform according to any character given at hand. “Jackson does it all for me.
He is the kind of person who is able to vividly portray any character put on the table. “As a comedian, he does wonders and, of course, in any general film setting.
” He says Jackson “is not a stereotype kind of a character who can only gel with certain characters”.
“He’s so amazing to watch and I always strive to give out genuine performance like his whenever I’m on set.
” In the midst of high unemployment rate, Sehahle thinks acting can help create jobs.
“There are a lot of talented actors in all districts of the country but they do not have platforms to showcase their talents.
“There is need for broader government intervention to build infrastructure which would be utilised to create opportunities for them,” he said.
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