ALTHOUGH Ms Dee — as comedienne Nomsa Diana Muleya is popularly known in Bulawayo’s entertainment circles — has carved a name for herself by getting people to laugh, her arts career is not just about jest.
BY SINDISO DUBE
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style last week as she celebrated her birthday on Thursday she said she was passionate about the empowerment of the girl child.
The self-proclaimed queen of comedy said she wanted to change society’s negative attitude towards women working in the fast lane of entertainment.
“As a comedian I wish to work harder and also break boundaries in comedy. I want to have an impact on the females and break the stereotypes associated with women in arts,” she said.
“People don’t take us seriously in arts, especially us females, (because) we are labelled women of loose morals.”
Ms Dee said she was working on programmes in and around her neighbourhood to empower the girl child.
“Comedy has exposed me to many things. I am currently advocating for the girl child and against gender-based violence. I am doing programmes and shows to spread the word of social change through comedy in conjunction with Youth Innovation Trust,” she said.
The comedy queen said she had also been working with single mothers, who she said were among the biggest victims of stereotyping.
“People tend to think we are losers, yet many of us are bold enough to walk out of marriage when we realised that it was not working,” she said.
Ms Dee was the first comedienne to join Bulawayo’s first jest outfit, Umahlekisa Comedy Club, led by award-winning jest master Ntando Van Moyo.
The club is set to host Ms Dee’s birthday celebrations in Cowdry Park at a gig dubbed Umahlekisa Stokvel.
