Written by: Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona 

Co-producer: Anele Penny

Directed by: Xabiso Zweni

Performed by: Fiks Mahola and Anele Penny

Anele Penny

Anele Penny is a South African actor and praise poet. He is best known for his portrayal of Councilor Nimba Ngamlana in Gqeberha The Empire Season 1 and Season 2 on Mzansi Magic Channel 161. Before that role he was part of Mhlobo Wenene FM’s Radio Drama (Ithini Na Le Nto?... Leyo Yimfihlelo Yobom!) and has portrayed plenty of characters in EC and South African Theatre at large.

Anele was born into a modest household on the 29th July in 1980 in Peddie in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Anele started and completed his secondary school and passed Matric at Sobantu Senior Secondary School. After completing his high school education, he had to stay at home for three years due to financial problems, until his elder brother was able to send him to Lovedale Public FET College, where he trained and qualified for Advanced Certificate in Performing Arts in 2005. After obtaining his certificate, he went on to qualify and obtained an Associate Diploma from Trinity Guildhall College London, through Stageworld Theatre School.

Whilst still at Stageworld he had his professional Theatre debut at the National Arts Festival (Makhanda), playing a troubled policeman in Love Is Never Enough written by Monde Ngonyama. Since then, he has performed in numerous productions, working with some of the great names in theatre spaces, including the late, great Mama Nomhle Nkonyeni. Some of the plays he has been part of include Veil, playing a Somali Refugee, Ghost of Glenmore, playing Velile an unstoppable activist, Strictly Come Bankrupt, playing Bribri an unpredictable gay man, Buzani Kubawo (a Xhosa classic) playing Zwilakhe, a backward and stubborn old man. He joined the Umhlobo Wenene Drama Team in 2008, playing in their Short Series and has been part of their Award winning Radio Soapie since 2012, playing the focused Mqokeleli. He was part of The Tyrant, which won a Standard Bank Ovation Award at NAF in 2024. He also performed in the classics, The Island and Sizwe Bansi Is Dead in St. Stephen’s Hall in New Brighton in 2024. Anele Penny has also starred as Phopho in Ekhondweni, a short film that was produced by Mpuma Kapa TV in 2021.

FIKS MAHOLA 

Fiks Mahola is a nationally acclaimed actor born in Gqeberha with more than 25 years in the industry. His multiple skills range from acting, puppetry, comedy, emceeing and singing. He has worked with many acclaimed South African theatre makers such as the legendary Fatima Dike and Luke Dixon, and acted on screen and film productions such as 7de Laan and Kniediep, which was shot in the city and aired on SABC2.

In Gqeberha he has worked with many artists in various theatre productions; Xolani Mali’s The Last Supper, Xolisa Ngubelanga’s Piece of An African Drum and has headlined various comedy shows.