Gabriel Modise leaves a gap
Botswana is losing the very oils that have long kept its theatre industry alive and moving. This past weekend, the passing of Gabriel Modise left the sector shaken, grieving, and brought to its knees.
Chairperson of the Botswana Association of Theatre, Sengwato Rampha, says that this is a big blow to the industry. The gap left by Phunya, especially following the loss of talents like Godiraone ‘Nature’ Mhula, David Plarto, Michael Tebogo and Nonofo Gontsi, is unbearable. These, he says were the custodians of the industry’s standards.
According to Rampha, they have lost the bridge between the raw talent on the streets and the professional discipline of the global stage. “We are losing the people who knew how to turn the industry into something meaningful.
Our industry is being left with a leadership debt—we have the talent, but we are losing the mentors who knew how to forge that talent into a career. It’s a very sad day for theatre and for BAOTA,” he cried. He further says that his loss is a massive structural blow to the industry. According to Rampha, they have not just lost a performer; but a 'factory' for talent.
“Phunya was the architect behind the actors who now lead our stages. Without his mentorship at Tsoga Africa, there is a visible gap in how the next generation will be drilled and disciplined,” he explains. Rampha explains that Phunya’s contribution was unmatched because he focused on building the human infrastructure of Botswana theatre. Giving a tanglibe example, he says that when one looks at the most established actors in Gaborone today such as Mandla Mapeo, Lebogang Bolokwe, Alphas Rampart, and the younger generation coming out of Tsoga Africa—they are well-oiled machines because of his mentorship.
Beyond the stage, he was a pillar for the industry's survival. He used his own initiatives, like the Makgaolakgang Theatre Challenge, to keep the culture of performance alive and competitive. “He was recently a consultant for BAOTA, I must specifically acknowledge his administrative weight; he was instrumental in helping the association re-register and find its footing again. From his work with the National Arts Festival to his constant support for local shows, he was someone who understood that for theatre to thrive, the back office and the community support had to be as strong as the performance itself,” he says.
He also shares that what set Phunya apart was that he didn't just 'do' theatre; he lived it. He had a heart for the craft that one simply cannot teach. He was a man who would literally run through fire to watch a play or ensure his own production hit the stage, says Rampha. Another exceptional quality of his, was that his plays were also exceptionally clean. He operated on what he called his 'Triple E' strategy of Entertainment, Education, and Empowerment. “He believed that theatre should teach, but it had to move your soul first.
To be honest, there was also a tragic mystery to his competitive career. Nobody in Gaborone did theatre quite like him, yet he was often the perpetual runner-up' in the President’s Day Competitions. I watched him lose in ways that defied logic; he would deliver a performance that was a clear winner in the eyes of the audience, only to see the judges hand him second place. It was a recurring heartbreak for those of us who knew his worth. We still don't quite understand why he didn't get that ultimate validation from the competitions, but in the streets and in the hearts of theatre activists, he was always number one,” he reflects.
Rampha admits that it is difficult to narrow down a career as prolific as his, but that several works remain etched in his memory because they defined his range. 'The E Drives The A' was a masterclass, it showed his ability to balance Education and Empowerment without losing the Entertainment value. Then there is a masterpiece titled Tswai la Tampa Se, and Rele Lephonkga, which demonstrated his deep connection to the local identity. “But 'Mabule' stands out as a testament to his storytelling power.
He had this way of making the stage feel crowded with emotion,” he notes. Creatives like Mandla Mapeo, Jimma, as he called him, immensely contributed to the arts, over and above running his successful theatre companies. Mapeo, and Jimma Co-Founded Tsoga Afrika, he shares that he was an advocate for artists in general, and that his advocacy was felt across the spectrum. Not only did he advocate for the craft in rhetoric, but he also pragmatically contributed to policy formulations, and suggested frameworks that would help in the acceleration of the development of arts in Botswana, he explains. “His body of knowledge and his production catalogue speak for itself, some of Botswana’s best theatre works are directly the works of Gabriel Modise,” he says.
He further says that one of the things not many people know about Jimma is the socio-economic impact he has made in the country and to young people. “I am not certain if he was aware of this himself, his rehearsal rooms transformed from being merely spaces for drama and acting, they largely turned into psychosocial support structures that brought hope for a better life for many. Many times, he opened doors of his rehearsal rooms and received many young people who had completely lost hope in life, he simply turned their lives around, he saved lives the best way he knows, through prayer and drama,” he says. He notes that it is a mammoth task to single out any favourite productions by Jimma.
Without any bias to the art forms he has worked on, he says that Koi E Tsene Ka Lepara remains his most outstanding work. This piece was appreciated and commended by the Former President of the Republic of Botswana, Festus G. Moage. What made it special was how everything about the production was outstanding, ranging from the setting, the challenging techniques, stage management, prop management, the transition from one scene to the next, that he employed in this production makes it stands out for him he says. “But then, that is Gabriel, he always found a way to be extraordinary in everything he does. His recent collaboration with Mophato Dance Theatre on PULA! isn’t a feat that one can ignore, a Broadway Theatre performance is something he has always wanted, and did it, he made it!,” he says with pride. He explains that the conceptualization and delivery of Makgaolakgang Theatre Challenge, working with John Marumo is at the top of the list of collaborations.
“He worked on the production, built a business, organized an event, at a zero-budget. The event was an incredible success, some theatre followers have hailed this as the biggest theatre privately ran event they have experienced in Botswana, I hold the same view,” says Mapeo. Jimma dreamt about three things, an Improved Quality of Theatre Productions, Meaningful Collaborations, and a Commercially viable Theatre Industry, one that pays artists. He hopes that those who remain such as the likes of the legendary Ngemi, Rampha, Sono Abram, Edward Moroka, Thuso & Thusonyana, Joseph Lekgoanyana aka Mabijo, Tshere, Johnson Otlaadisa, Mpho Rabotsima, Dops, Thembani, Rasina, Phushie, John, Tefo, Gao and many others would see this vision through, this would make him proud.