Chengeta: From teacher to DJ, film producer

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Staff Writer | Tuesday April 3, 2012 00:00

In the end his dream went up in smoke and he felt betrayed and dejected.  One part of him thought it might be a blessing in disguise, but the other part strongly felt he deserved the chance more than most who had been sponsored.

Life had to go on; so he continued as a teacher. Theatre was his passion and ultimately he left his teaching post.

But after many years of frustration he has produced one of Botswana's best movies, which recently premiered at Capitol Cinemas, Game City.   Defiantly, Chengeta says he wanted to prove wrong those who denied him the chance to go and study film production when he did the movie, Four-Thirty.

'I know some people who got sponsored after failing terribly and it pained me that some corrupt officials prevented me from going. I had to go the long way before I could produce my movie,' he said.

The 33-year-old Chengeta told Showbiz that he had always had interest in the performing arts. He started performing as a member of the Nanogang Community Junior Secondary School drama club, continuing at Gaborone Senior Secondary School (GSSS) a few years later.

Though coming from a well to do family, Chengeta never wanted to rely on his parents to finance his dreams.

After his application to travel to the US was rejected, he enrolled for a Teaching Diploma at the Molepolole College of Education (MCE).

But teaching was never what he wanted to do and after a few years in the profession he ventured into entertainment business, running a nightclub and a bar in Molepolole where he doubled as administrator and disc jockey (DJ).

'It was relatively easier to raise money to go into movie production because teaching was the last thing I wanted to do, I felt really underutilised as a teacher. Each day looked the same, nothing new,' he said. But in 2006 the former teacher relocated to Gaborone where he started a production company called Chengeta's Boy Productions.

He believed he could produce internationally acclaimed films from his own pocket. 'I moved to Commerce Park where I started a media production company involved in a variety of services such as production of radio jingles, billboards and others,' Chengeta said.

Four-Thirty is arguably his biggest break as it has attracted the attention of sponsors and prospective buyers.

Botswana Television (Btv) has assessed the movie with a view to buying it. National Aids Coordination Agency (NACA) has also shown interest in purchasing it for its campaigns against the spread of HIV. The Ministry of Health has similarly also offered to buy it, according to the producer.

Inspired by his father's bravery and business acumen, Chengeta says he wants to be the best film producer to come out of this country. 'My father is very strict. I respect him because he worked for everything he has and he has instilled that in all of us, that we should work for what we hope for in future,'  the first born of three boys told Showbiz,'.

Though his coffers are dry at the moment, Chengeta argues that he is not at all poor, adding that because he is a hard worker his situation will soon change. 'I believe these are the ups and downs of life; it can be difficult but I have to keep scouting and I know I will finally make it. I had to fight to be recognised as a film producer and I pulled through,' he said with a sense of satisfaction.

Already he has started scripting for a continuation of Four-Thirty called Four-Thirty-two.  He noted that the first movie was 'deliberately made to torture the viewer so that one would be curious to know what would follow in the sequel'.