My all-time favourite actress! Here is MaVundla, a living legend of the arts and Isintu culture, Gogo Bella Ellen Mlangeni (Tsholotsho, 1952), the former lead singer and founder of the redoubtable Thandanani Women’s Ensemble. Coming from King Matshobana Township in Bulawayo, she serves us what is in her affairs.
My book Thole likaMthwakazi is due 27 November 2025.
<12-min read time> <Ungayibala ngesiNdebele>
Primary school: Nhlabathi Primary School, Tsholotsho.
Secondary school: Magama Mission School, Tsholotsho.
“The wound of losing a child never goes away”.
The Women of…
We began Thandanani in 1982 when it was unheard of that housewives could start something like that. It was difficult but we persevered because we saw that traditions were being lost in the city. We took our traditional dances like Isitshikitsha and songs off the ground; we danced, sang, and taught our culture. It was also self-employment as mothers who were the guardians of homes. The Bulawayo municipality helped us to be a women’s club where we made small items (handcrafts like doilies that were in fashion in those days at Vulindela, Mpopoma before Gogo Patricia Tshabalala started the orphanage in 1996 – SJ), and we knitted jerseys and sold them. We competed among ourselves as women, which was healthy, and some items would be sold at Haddon & Sly (famed department store 1894-1999 – SJ).
We grew up watching our grandmothers perform dances like hosana (Nyathi, 2014). It was not taught. Eventually we were called to teach children in schools (Before the 2000s, hosana was performed in some homes in Bulawayo – SJ).
The Matshobana of…
Our children began to disobey elders and could no longer be scolded, which you could do to any wayward child as an adult. They would tell you, “Mind your own business!”. School-leavers created gangs like Terror Boys (urban gangs became famous in the 1990s – SJ), and they would sit on street gutters harassing people. In 1991, things changed dramatically when the production of American film, Party of One (Warner Brothers, 1991) came to town and we officially registered Thandanani Women’s Ensemble to work with them.
Many children were recruited for the film along with us (Nomathamsanqa ‘Nkwali’ Mkhwananzi is another celebrity who appeared in the film – SJ). This is when some children realized they could do better for their lives with a craft.
The First Passport Stamp of…
Botswana.
The Child of…
I never got the chance to see my father. He passed away when my mother was six months pregnant. My mother’s paternal aunt is whom I called grandmother and she was the one who raised me when I barely had teeth. My mother remarried, and so I was raised by my grandmother in Nsezi, Tsholotsho (not be confused with Nsezi, Umzingwane – SJ). I studied at Nhlabathi, a Roman Catholic primary school, finishing Standard 3. I then went to Magama Mission for Standard 4, but I didn’t finish Standard 5 because it was difficult for my grandmother to raise me and pay for my education.
The Marriage of…
My grandmother raised me with her daughter, my mother’s cousin. She brought me to the city, and I lived with her in Barbour Fields where I developed my mind and tried to survive from being a village girl. That is where I met my husband Christopher Mlangeni (Mlangeni clan names – SJ) from 1973 to the present. We got married in 1974 in a traditional ceremony, and then we went for the civil court marriage in 1977.
The Parent of…
It was painful to lose a child. Even now the wound has not healed. It is understandable to lose someone to illness, but he was not sick at all, and he was our only son. There was an incident in Durban, and we all know how South Africa can be. The devastating news came, and that was it. The wound is difficult to heal; in fact, I can say it never heals. Sometimes you remember, “if only here was here”.
We had three children. Our first two were daughters born in 1975 and 1977 respectively, and our son was the last born in 1980.
The Grandparent of…
We have eight grandchildren. Our first daughter has four boys, the second has two girls, and our son had two boys. Our eldest daughter’s child was raised by my husband and I as my grandmother has raised me. We don’t have great-grandchildren yet because our grandchildren are still studying. Our children and grandchildren didn’t get involved in the arts because they saw the hardships I went through back then, but they appreciate my craft. They are happy for their grandmother. One of them plays football.
“How can their husbands allow these women to become dancers!”, “We hear they were jumping up and down at White City Stadium!”
The Working Wife of…
It was hard at first to be a woman in the public eye. It was very hard! We traveled all over the country – there is nowhere we did not got to and sometimes I was away from home for days. One day my husband gave me a task of ironing his viscose shirts, a lot of them, so that I could leave them ready.
SJ: He was a fashion killer…
(Laughs) He was working at the Railways (Back in the day Railways workers were among the well paid – SJ). When he passed by our van pick-up point, he saw my colleagues already waiting, but I was nowhere to be found! When he arrived here and found me busy, I said, “Those shirts took up so much of my time!”. He felt the pinch, embarrassed, and immediately started helping me, giving me water… (laughs).
The patriarchal community around us did not help either with malicious gossip: “How can their husbands allow these women to become dancers!”, “They were seen dancing in Ntabazinduna, so far away at Chief Khayisa Ndiweni’s village!”, “They were seen at Joshua Nkomo’s village in St. Joseph!”, “We hear they were jumping up and down at White City Stadium!”, “There are bad things that the women want to do!” Hee…! When you go to work, you should show with your professionalism that you are working and not focus on the fun aspect of it. If you mix business with pleasure, it can cost you.
Eventually, he realized that this was in my blood, and we eventually supported each other. At first, when they asked, “Where is lady of the house?”, he would say, “She’s out doing at her dancing things.” Later he would say, “She is at work.” Even now I am still working, and I have an event tomorrow. My husband retired in 2012.
The Diaspora of…
We were helped by people overseas after ESAP came (Economic Structural Adjustment Programme, 1991-1996 – SJ). We all know that profit is hard to come by in the arts. There were now many of us in the group after the American film and we were able to send two teams – some went here, some went there. But people kept leaving and at some point we were left with four people because we didn’t make enough money. We are grateful to our overseas supporters because we were struggling. They would call and offer us gigs.
The Memorable Show of…
SJ: I recall the Thandanani ladies from the u-Mdala Wethu event, the first gala in 2001 at Barbour Fields…
I remember when we won the Chibuku competition in 2007 (Thandanani had won third place in 2006 – SJ). We worked! But of course, we were not selective because everyone’s motto was, “If you are sick, stay home!”. We worked in many places.
The Dance of…
I have acted in many films and TV commercials, but dancing is what I love the most. It is a way to revive our culture; it is Isintu, who I am. That is why I can always teach the youth and encourage them that I want to see someone dancing like me. Acting on TV will not be difficult because if you dance, you are already an actor.
The Solo Career of…
It was painful like the end of a marriage – I dedicated thirty-four years to Thandanani and then I started being mistreated. In the arts, we all start out with no money. When you become famous, some people become envious thinking you are you are now known because of them, or that there is nothing you can do without them. What really hurts is that I am the founder of Thandanani with other women. Florence Sithole (MaTshabalala who took over as the head of Thandanani in 2016 – SJ) was not with us, she is not a founding member.
It was me, the late Yengiwe Ngwenya (1954-2020) [who made the nation crazy by playing the character MaMbatha in the 1999 film Isithembo; not to be confused with Isithembu 2020, both having aired on ZBC. Student of Isintu, which is the correct term: isithembo or isithembu? – SJ), the late Anna Ngwenya, the late Martha Gumpo, and others who left long ago. Yengiwe was alive when I left and she remained, but I am the only founding member who is still alive. Cont Mhlanga intervened trying to let me at least go with the name Thandanani, but I realised that you can die for petty things like a name (Read this insightful article about Phathisa Nyoni by Mhlanga, 2014 where he credits Thandanani as being the inspiration for him to start Amakhosi – SJ). God has his way; he gives you; he can give you something else again, and I am happy in life.
The Religion of…
In our Catholic denomination, they know that Isitshikitsha is our culture. They found us with it before colonisation. They are happy to have such people as us. MaTshabalala, Florence Sithole is my church mate – in our church, we recognise that a gift lies within a person. When I am broadcasting on radio in the programme Ama-Dramatics, I ask the DJ (Kudakwashe Takundwa – SJ) to throw-in a Catholic song, and they are happy.
SJ: Wow, you and MaTshabalala are church mates?
Yes, there is forgiveness as fellow parishioners, but it was difficult. I work with her as a matter of fact in our individual capacities as actresses, like in the drama Umhlolo waseZhwane (2024) by Raisedon Baya.
SJ: We were happy to see the two of you together receiving the Thandanani award at the Bulawayo Arts Awards in 2023…
You must have forgiveness as a person so that your life is not hindered by what is bothering you. Holding a grudge is unhealthy. The difficult thing, which I have never done is when I get bookings and then say, “Thandanani, join me for a day and let’s go to work”. I must speak the truth before God. My supporters will call and say, “Gogo we are getting married, and we still love you. May you please come with your former cast mates?”. That I cannot do. But if I bump into them performing a song I love, I go in and we have a jam. It will be good and that’s it (Bajila [2018], at Midlands State University, writes about some of the Thandanani songs that Ellen wrote; you can listen them and where Ellen explained to Radio Continental Drift [2013] You can hear the subtle feud as ladies vie to speak to the journalist – SJ).
The Legend of…
Although my exit from Thandanani was unpleasant, I received the country’s biggest award, the National Arts Merit Awards, Living Legend (NAMA 40 Legends with Barbara Nkala-Makhalisa, Lovemore Majaivana, Cont Mhlanga, Phathisa Nyathi, Felix Moyo, Adam Madebe, Rashid Jogee, Albert Nyathi, Nkululeko Innocent Dube, Matesu Dube, and others – SJ). You continue to work because when someone shows you that they want something to be theirs, it is theirs; they didn’t start it, and they didn’t feel pain. Thandanani was worked on, money went, years, pressure… but we thank God it matured.
My awards will sit on top of my final rest bed. The children will say, “We see Grandma here”. Even though I didn’t receive the education and the academic desires I wished for growing up at in the rural areas, I pushed through. It’s not the same anymore. I have been teaching at a school for eight years now. I help children with the Ndebele language and our cultural songs and dances at Newton Primary, a private school in Phelandaba, and some government schools.
Gogo Ellen Mlangeni teaches Isitshikitsha at Newton School on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She co-hosts a radio show “Ama-dramatics”, Sundays, 19:00-21:00 on Skyz Metro FM, and sometimes as a guest on the Radio Zimbabwe programme “Inhlupho Zalamuhla” on Thursdays, 21:00. Those interested in working with her can contact her via WhatsApp: +263 77 611 8809.
You can watch back when she recently played the character NaJeremiah in the two-season drama, “Madlela Comes Home” (with English subtitles– SJ).
Interview date: 24 July 2025.
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Cite this: Jermain, S. (2025, July 29). The Republic of. . . Ellen Mlangeni. Sonny Jermain Online. https://sonnyjermain.com/the-republic-of-ellen-mlangeni/
In-text: Parenthetical – (Jermain, 2025); or Narrative – Jermain (2025).
