“I ADORE CONNIE FERGUSON TO BITS”

Nonhlanhla Kambule-Makgati

"After I have met her, I can die peacefully.” Says Tshidi Mahute

Photos: Nonhlanhla Kambule-Makgati

CONNIE Ferguson, best-known as Karabo Moroka, the spoiled, scandalous, ever-troubled and tempestuous manipulator, a role she convincingly played in Mfundi Vundla’s Generations soapie, has a devoted secret admire in the person of 48-year-old Tshidi Mahute of Orlando East, who has been crazy about `Karabo’ and still is, twenty-five years later. Walking into Tshidi’s outside room, which also doubles as a bedroom, at her place in Orlando East, is like walking into `Karabo’ Moroka’s museum, where Connie Ferguson’s pictures line and decorate all the four walls, so much that there is little or no room for any other picture that does not bear the face of `Karabo’. It is inside this outside room that this petite lesbian fan of Connie’s fan jumps up from a two- seater sofa, her face beaming with the joy of life to reach out to a tiny cabinet bearing a huge portrait of `Karabo’ across the table that is fully-laden with sanitary items for her personal use.

“There is more, she laughs, swinging the cabinet-door wide open.Guess what …four of Ferguson’s photos from bygone-years are exhibited. Inside her wardrobe door, a full article profiling Ferguson from the days of Generation is seen.

Siphiwe Mahute, Tshidi’s thirty-three-year-old nephew happily comes in from the adjacent room to join a conversation, which clearly amuses him to bits. “Ever since I was born, it has been Tshidi’s life-long dream to meet Connie, winner of the 2008 People magazine’s Crystal Award for Best Soap Actress . “This room, as far as I know, has always collected photos of Connie from all over. When these photos threaten to fade, Tshidi recycles them from time to time. Now that she has removed one, it is way better now at least that even `noJesu sekayabonakala’ - `we can now see the photo of Jesus’,” jokes Siphiwe referring to the portrait of Jesus hanging in the mist of Ferguson photo exhibition.

Tshidi explains that the whole family knows her admiration for Connie. “Even my sister-in-law Mathilda Ndala once asked me when my birthday was, which falls on the 18 April, and I told her that my birthday was on the next day. She said unfortunately that was too close otherwise she would give a present of bringing Connie home”.

Tshidi Mahute bought the photo for R6.

When asked what her most-cherished wish was, Tshidi answers without a second thought: “I wish ukuba naye uConnie, ngimbone live. I- voice yakhe ngiyazi noma ngilele. Uhlala aduma la. When I first saw her on TV, ngabona umuntu o perfect. UNkulunkulu uyabenza abantu bakhe” –“I so wish to be with her, to see herlive. I know her voice even when I am asleep. It always rings in my ears. God is a genius when coming to creating His people.” In conclusion, Tshidi tells us how she gets her collector’s items. “Most of the photos are magazine cuttings, except this one photo I bought in 2006 for R6 in a Germiston exhibition stand, while walking past. On seeing this photo, I grabbed it and asked for the price later. I said to myself `Nangu lomuntu engimthandayo - Here is a photo of a person I love. Help me to meet her. After I have met her, I can die peacefully.”