Gender based violence is at centre of new play by Julian Seleke Mokoto titled Scars of a Woman
By Funeka Bambalele
They say the absence of love is a fate worse than death itself.
This is the feeling that develops when watching the new gender-based violence theatre show Scars of a Woman. It is set to open at Soweto Theatre in Jabulani on November 27.
Written and Directed by Jullian Seleke-Mokoto, and it features Dieketseng Mnisi, Mpho Chief Siboa, Boitumelo Betty Maretele, the show seems to provide the real reasons of what happens when love does not exist in a relationship or marriage. The play runs at Soweto Theatre until November 30 before moving to Alex Sankopano Arts Center in Alexandra on December 6.
CityLife/Arts had an opportunity to attend the rehearsal of the show at Soweto Theatre. Seleke-Mokoto who has penned some of the most successful and controversial theatre pieces like Marry, The Unfaithful Woman, Money Maker, Hold Up The Sun, Shattered Dreams and Tapping Hearts, tells the story through a couple Hazel (played by Boitumelo Maretele) and Mike
Malandela (Chief Siboa), a marriage counselor. Malandela is like your typical township priest who will pray for couples who have marriage problems yet at home he is a monster to the wife and kids.
The couple is blessed with a son who as he grows older discovers that he is gay, something that Mike Malandela is struggling to accept. Among many issues that the couple has, Emily is abused for bringing “a gay” to this world.
In the world drama a blessing in disguise comes in the form of a new neighbor Emily (played by Dieketseng Mnisi) who moved to the area. A jailbird, Emily comes from an abusive marriage which led her to fatally shooting her husband. She was arrested but released early for her best behavior.
Seleke-Mokoto explains that GBV is a deep and complicated subject and requires one to approach it differently.
“There is this theory that GBV is associated with alcohol or people who drink. This time I had to show another side that even the ones that are regarded as saints are capable of harming others. Mike is a marriage counselor, but he has no respect for women because of his upbringing. He grew up in an environment where he watched his father beating up his mother.”
“As the story unfolds, we learn that nobody hides pains better than a woman who is trying to remain strong for her family. The play also teaches us that life will challenge you every day and some days you just feel defeated and want to give-up. You must always believe in your strength. Life can be tough, but you will always be tougher because you went through a lot in life.”
Mnisi who currently portrays the role of Mantuli in Skeem Saam said every woman who will watch the show will easily relate to it.
“In fact, some of them will be saying I have experienced this in a relationship or in a marriage.”