Cecil John Rhodes: British Empire Hitman

“I do that by getting to know myself very well and draw from that moving forward. As a person you are yourself first before finding yourself in that situation. As an actor, I am me and then I find myself in that situation. We had the language discussion, we had the accent discussion, and it helped that Craig, Malcolm and Fiona are from the academic world, so they were great guides.

“Although I am a proud to be from that area, it was not an easy place to grow up in because of the political instability in the eighties. The townships were burning and our big brothers used to set government officials’ cars on fire. On some weekends we enjoyed hearing the sound of drums and trumpets from a funeral of a sell out policeman.

Ngobeni has always been one to interact with his surroundings whether it was when he was living on the streets, or fending for himself in the wilderness as a child. His has been a journey that responded to the immediate environment and he continues to do that in his work. The politically inclined artwork combines his current mental dispensation while harking back to his struggles that still haunt him through his dreams. His face is always etched with a permanent smile, and this sunny disposition, despite all the hardship, prompted Mabandu to call upon Stanley Crouch to aptly describe the path that Ngobeni has travelled.

Although I foresee no such future, that night I went to bed with a smile that would make The Manhattans and Soul Brothers proud for these memories, this music, it’s all one needs to persist in endeavouring for a better South Africa.

Things should have changed, starting from Nelson Mandela all the way to the current people occupying positions of power. We are living in dire conditions with horrors happening to our people in the township on a daily basis. I can’t help but talk about these things.