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Playing Mampho makes me nervous: Bokaba

“What’s interesting is that these relationships happen in communities but we are so quiet about it. My character gets enormous feedback from fans and I feel it must not be limited to television characters. Fans must voice their opinions on the real world,” she says.

Rythm City's low self-esteemed Mampho is a troubled young girl trapped in loneliness, a pathological liar who helplessly seeks for love and affection from a sugar daddy.

Etv's soapie has telenovela lovers glued to their TV screens with the attention grabbing storyline that portrays the reality of relationships formed between older men and teenagers that prevails in society. 

Moving from a kid’s zone as a TV presenter on YOTV to playing a naïve and vulnerable girl who seek attention from an older man, Itumeleng Bokaba, 20, has stepped out of her comfort zone.

“This is a transition for me, a positive one in the sense that people now see me a little older than my age, I have always been looked at as 12 at least now they think I’m 16,” says Bokaba laughing.

Speaking to SowetanLIVE, Bokaba talks about how playing Mampho makes her nervous and how she relates to the story line in reality.

“Its frightening playing Jabu’s sugarchild, I feel vulnerable, it makes me sad. Its uncomfortable.

“Mampho loses her voice around Jabu, what Jabu wants he gets because she is weak,” says Bokaba.

The young lady feels that although she has never dated an older man, she has learned from the role she plays.

“Girls dating older men are very aware that it is wrong. For me a healthy relationship gap is five years older and unless we connect, someone older is impossible.

“It’s been very interesting to see that sugarbabies have it more difficult. I am seeing the stigma of hiding from parents when you with you older man you never free it’s an uncomfortable feeling an act of desperation,” she says.

Bokaba feels that girls dating older men are often lonely. She says she relates to her character because she has a friend who is just like Mampho.

“I think girls dating older men when they feel lonely and sad. It's an exchange relationship. Mampho fell for Jabu because she was avoiding her home situation of parents getting divorced and no one had time for her.

“I have a friend who dates older men, I think for her the type of business her mom runs is male consumed and she therefore spends her time trying to please these men. She is an adult liking to date grandpas.

“I switch in reality to be the good friend like Reneilwe is to Mampho trying to show her she is beautiful and can live a better life without a sugardaddy,” she says.

Bokaba says playing Mampho in reality is hard since the public cannot separate the character from the person on social media.

“On social media I am told Mampho is stupid but the worst is hearing them say I wish she can get HIV and die yet all I am doing is teaching the opposite. The way people think it’s so real, I get nervous in public, fearing I might get slapped.

Bokaba feels that sugardaddy and sugarbaby relationships need to be addressed openly.

“What’s interesting is that these relationships happen in communities but we are so quiet about it. My character gets enormous feedback from fans and I feel it must not be limited to television characters. Fans must voice their opinions on the real world,” she says.

Rythm City airs weekly at 18:30 on eTV

Follow Bongiwe on Twitter: @bongirand2

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