Uma kuthiwa ziyophela izinsizwa kusale izibongo kusuke kukhululunywa ngezingcithabuchopho ezifana no-Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela.
USabela wabeka igama lakhe emagomagomeni omlando ngokuba umqondisi (director) wokuqala omnyama emkhakheni wezamafilimu eNingizimu Afrika.
Le ndoda, eyayidume ngesidlaliso esithi uMabhunu yazalelwa eThekwini mhla ziyi-10 ngoMashi kowe-1931.
U-Mabhunu wabangumangena kwacaca kwezifilimu nezamabonakude kuleli ngokuba ngomunye wabokuqala abakhiqiza bashicilela izinhlelo zokunandisa ngezilimi zamaNguni.
Kwamafilimu aduma kakhulu kuleli lapho khona uMabhunu wayengumqondisi kubalwa lawa:
- Isivumelwano (1978);
- Inyakanyaka (1977);
- Ngaka (1977),
- Ngwanaka (1976);
- The Boxer (1976);
- Inkedama (1975); UDeliwe (1975)
- Ikati Elimnyama (1974).
UMabhunu waphinda futhi waba ngumqondisi kumafilimu aduma kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Kulawo kubalwa lawa:
- Zulu (1964);
- Zulu Dawn (1979);
- The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980);
- The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989)
Abalelwa ngaphezulu kwamashumi amane ama-project amafilimu lapho uMabhunu adlala indima yakhe njengomlingisi, umqondisi, kanye nochwepheshe ngokwezemibono.
Ngoba impela lowo nalowo unosuku lwakhe, naye uMabhunu wasishiya emhlabeni ngo-1994. Igama lakhe lisabungazwa endimeni yezamafilimu nomabonakude namanje.
I-Kwazulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC), okuyinhlangano kahulumeni wesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal, isize yaqamba umcimbi wokuklomelisa abenza kahle kwezefilimu nomabonakude ngegama lakhe.
Uma ngelinye ilanga uzithola sumenywa noma uthamela i-Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela Film and Television Awards, usuyokwazi kabanzi ngomlando womuntu okuqanjwe ngaye lo mcimbi.
The article above gives a short biographical account of the legendary Simon ‘Mabhunu’ Sabela. A native of KwaZulu-Natal, Sabela was one of the pioneers of the South African television and film industry. He acted, directed and produced many successful television programmes and films, counting among them the ever-so-popular The Gods Must Be Crazy. The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission has, in his honour, named its annual Film and Television ceremony after him. Much about him has been written in English, and the above article aims to in brief, tell his story in his native language of IsiZulu.