‘Have You Seen Zandile?’ opens at Soweto Theatre

702’s Bongani Bingwa speaks with cast member Sisekho Velelo.

Listen below:

It is a journey through love, loss and the weight of tradition told through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl whose life is turned upside down.

She is abruptly taken to the rural Transkei by her mother, who insists she follows a more traditional path of no education, hard labour, and early marriage.

“I think the question of tradition, versus the things we want to do for ourselves, remains. Except, now, it’s morphed into expectation.”

– Siseko Velelo

“A lot of our audience is young. They’re in their formative years where they are being told constantly that they’re laying the foundation for what it is that you want to be for the rest of your life… This piece reminds them to stay true to themselves and live their lives.” 

– Siseko Velelo

‘Have You Seen Zandile?’ will be on at the Soweto Theatre from 15 April to 2 May.

Tickets are available on Webtickets.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.