Feza Amaphupo, a youth led organisation with a vision to unearth local talent, is all set to launch their first ever show called ‘Iphutha Likabani’ on their YouTube channel this July.
The show will consist of five episodes that will highlight the struggles of communities within informal settlements, tackling subjects such as gender-based violence (GBV), substance abuse, social politics, crime as well as valuable lessons for young people to strive for a better life.
Iphutha Likabani, which means ‘whose fault is it’, stands as an incredibly achievement for the Feza Amaphupho team as the productions success can be attributed to the passion of the Greenwood Park youth, who all took on this project with zero budget.
The founder of the organisation and associate writer for the series, Aphiwe Mncwabe, commended the team for their hard work and passion. She stated that every single member of the team understood the importance of telling such a story and hope that the audience can walk away with value added to their lives.
“I wanted the story to be told because it’s what we go through in our everyday life, just to emphasise that you are not alone and just because you were born in an informal settlement it doesn’t mean that’s your destiny,” said Mncwabe.
Director and associate writer of the show, Sifiso Gumede added that the show stands out because it explores life within the informal settlement with empathy and nuance, offering audiences the raw and in-depth reality of what goes on within.
“It was very important that there must be someone to tell the stories that are faced by such settlements. So I am even proud that person happens to be me. I also think it was very vital that such project came by to empower, educate and give our youth something to be busy with that can bring something on the table for their families. So for me this initiative is more about changing lives and being the voice for the unheard issues that are faced by our community on daily bases,” he said.
Buhle Bhengu, who plays a police officer in the mini series, said that as an aspiring actor, there was nothing more enjoyable than immersing himself in his character. “There’s lots of things I liked in this production. Everyone is welcome to have a word or an opinion. It was fun and the team knew what they wanted and how they wanted it. I am grateful to be part of such a production,” He added
Both Mncwabe and Gumede said their biggest challenge with the production was the issue of the project not having a budget, however, this did not stop them from seeing the show to the end. “Much as we were excited about pulling this project through, the absence of funds to settle our needs such as filming equipment, transportation and catering really affected us. But even still, all that never stopped us from going forward. We created a vision in our mind that we will use what we have to pull this project through, we told ourselves that with or without the needs required, we will do this project and we did it,” said Gumede.
Mncwabe added that another season is in the works for which auditions will be held. She encourages the community to show their support and follow them on Facebook and YouTube under the banner Feza Amaphupo.
