Blantyre Police on Wednesday summoned 11-year-old content creator Ndaziona who trades under the banner Makiliyombe Comedy over the content she produces and shares on social media platforms.
The police summoned Ndaziona and her manager Kenford ‘Ken B Wazakena’ Chipelesa to caution them against the sensitivities surrounding the content they share on their Facebook page which features the 11-year-old as the main character.
Blantyre Police Station spokesperson Peter Mchiza said: “We thought the content they produce has the potential to infringe on other people’s rights by exposing under-aged girls to stuff not fit for their age. What they are doing is against the law and the content which Ndaziona produces is not fit for her age.”
On his part, Chipelesa said they produce the content to raise money for the girl who lives with a grandmother struggling to make ends meet.
The development sparked debate on the social media with some quarters questioning the eligibility of classifying such content as comedy or drama.
Bato C said: “This is a good move. She might be talented indeed, but she should avoid such kind of content.”
Bosco Junior Dickson said: “The problem nowadays is that we rush into looking at everything through political lens. Social media is a great weapon that can be used to shape our way of thinking in many aspects.
“We are complaining about rising cases of gender-based violence yet we are tolerating such kind of content which can only serve to fuel gender-based violence.”
In a separate interview yesterday, former Wakhumbuta Ensemble Theatre actor Emmanuel Maliro said social media has made easy for anyone to create content which is of great creativity and engagement, but lacking in some elements.
Maliro said comedy is not just about making people laugh, but tackling life issues, telling stories, addressing problems while offering entertainment. He said most of the social media content does not satisfy core tenets of comedy.
“Real comedy and drama require skill, structure and creativity. Not everything labelled comedy or drama truly fits the definition. While some social media content is fun and entertaining, quality storytelling will always stand out,” said maliro.
Seasoned actor and University of Malawi lecturer in theatre and film studies Thoko Kapiri said there is need for training of artists to understand the difference between performative acts and dramatic acts.
“Not every creative performance is dramatic or comic. At the centre of drama is conflict plus imitation. A lot of content being created is performative, rooted in reality but pretentious. Content creators are creative performers, but certainly not comedians or dramatists,” he said.
Unima’s executive dean of School of Arts, Communication and Design Dr Mufunanji Magalasi said there is nothing new in what the social media content developers are doing as it is a phenomenon that has been there for decades.
He said: “Academics put these in the category of popular drama. It is created by people who are not trained, but are using their observational skills. They are able to imitate and create things like what they are doing. Popular culture has always existed.”
