Censorship Board acts on ‘Aunt Nellie’ videos

The Censorship Board has condemned video clips circulating on social media depicting a five-year-old girl named Nellie Mpezeni addressing different issues affecting society.

The board says the video clips mock the modesty of children by exposing the girl to social matters that are adult in nature.

“The Censorship Board has, therefore, declared such videos by Aunt Nellie as undesirable as provided under the Censorship and Control of Entertainment Act,” reads a statement signed by chief censoring officer Anganile Nthakomwa.

She also appealed to those in the business of producing videos for public consumption to be submitting their productions to the board for reviews and be guided on content that may likely infringe on the rights of a child and also offend the general public.

In reaction, Catholic Women Organisation chairperson Lucy Vokhiwa said although they appreciate that the girl in the video clips is talented, they felt the content she is spreading is too mature for her age.

She cited a video clip in which the little girl refers herself as a wife, celebrating that her husband is coming home early than usual due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“No girl should be groomed about such things at such a young age. It robs her of her innocence. That is why we asked government to intervene and censor her content,” said Vokhiwa.

She said they are not against the girl exploring her talent as a comedian, but that her promoters should guide her with material that is fit for her age.

Video clips of Aunt Nellie have been making rounds on various social media platforms. The little girl, who largely imitates Nigerian comedian Success, basically addresses various social issues in a comic way. Since her first clip was shared, there have been split opinions about her talent and content with some people saying her content is too mature for a little while others feel it is only acting aimed at entertaining.

In a separate interview, Gift Mawila, uncle to Nellie, acknowledged the stance by Censorship Board.

“We will go back to the drawing board and decide on the best way forward. Nellie is talented and when I shot the video clips of her, I have her parents full blessings,” he said.