Selefu combines cartoons, acting
Chippa Legodimo | Friday March 28, 2014 15:01
Meet Simon Seisa, the charismatic cartoonist-cum-actor whose pencil has earned him friends and turned some into instant foes.
But of late, Seisa has been attracting a lot of attention as Wasetso on Botswana television’s (Btv) Monday drama, Mareledi.
In one of the scenes Wasetso, a traditionalist who refuses to let his modernisation erode him, finds himself squeezed in a tight spot while trying to keep the peace in his family.
He is torn between two sons who are always at each other’s throats.
Greed and envy drives the youngest son who stays at the cattle post. Him looking after cattle leads to hating his brother who is more successful and lives in town.
The ‘herd boy’ assumes that his staying at the cattle post gives him the right to the entire herd and father has to step in and restore order.
So good is Seisa’s portrayal that already a lot people recognise him from that role.
“I get stopped in the streets by people who simply refer to me as Wasetso. I was recently in Serowe where everybody who met me wanted to shake my hand,” he told Arts & Culture.
Although, Seisa has a degree in graphic design majoring in film production, Mareledi was only his first acting job.
“My first passion is cartoon. I have been drawing cartoons since I was a kid. I started doing it professionally in 1977 and I am still doing it. I have to confess I love acting as well,” he said.
Seisa seemingly landed the role in Mareledi by default.
He was offered a chance to join the cast by one of the producers who felt he could fit the role of Wasetso perfectly.
He concedes it was difficult at first, but he quickly acclimatised and fitted in.
“Yes we are all amateur actors, but the directors and producers are trying to make sure things move smoothly,” he told Arts & Culture.
While he insists he should have started acting earlier, the elderly actor insists he could still land other roles in future productions.
“I am gaining valuable experience from Mareledi, which makes me look beyond this drama. The purpose of creating Mareledi was primarily to influence behavioural change, but it does not lack the flair that gives us the exposure,” he insisted.
A former head of the graphics section of the old department of information and broadcasting, Seisa has only retired to start a new career. He believes he has a great future as an actor.