DANDALA- This Dandala Is the Epitome of the Odyssey of an African Man Besieged with Society’s Expectations and His Personal Fla

He is not your drop-dead gorgeous kind of guy but his African red lips have an easily smiling look that is guaranteed to attract. Hlomla Dandla is a well educated and travelled man who has been acting and directing South African movies which transcends into major parts of the African continent. When you are a core element of productions like Isidingo, Jacob’s Cross, Generations, All You Need Is Love, Interrogation Room, Land Of Thirst, Gaz’lam and Jozi-H and the son of a man who was once the head of all African Christian council, scandal is bound to bed you. This

Dandla is the epitome of the odyssey of an African man besieged with society’s expectations and his personal flaws. The thirty-five year old got divorced from his wife ironically after presenting the reality show, “All You Need Is Love”.
Dandla was born in London and has therefore been tagged as one of the people who sometimes find themselves lost as to where they really belong. ‘Baby making machine’ as he is called has three different daughters from three different women. Though he is famous, he is bound by a society that frowns on Christians having children outside wedlock.

Though English was his first language, he thinks and dreams in Xhosa because that is the language his parents speak to him with. Despite being acculturated, he says, “It is very funny, when I get upset, even at home, they know when I am speaking Xhosa that, “Alright, he’s not filtering anymore”. He appreciates the people and the land since people are ready to offer a helping hand anytime.

Amidst all glamour, he acknowledges that he is not a city boy by a long shot. His hometown is quiet arid but something sparks whenever he goes home. He has been circumcised as expected of every young man and he feels quite proud of himself for that attainment which meant he could partake in family meetings. A family meeting in Dandaville (the place is literally full of Dandalas) is a must for him since it offers spiritual refreshment.
The Scandal of baby making was followed by another rumor that there were more skeletons in the closet. This made him admit on air that the only truth was that he had three different baby girls from three women. After conceding, he added that, “I am learning more and more that I am traditional man. I thought I was a modern man. I am also a family protector, a king of my castle”.

Dandla directed, “The Bet” which was screened on all South African broadcasting channels. This interested him because it was meant to spark a debate on values like peer pressure, HIV/AIDS and pre-marital sex within the society which he felt spoke to him on a personal level. The Bet was God-based and as such a very delicate subject because of his father’s status and what he was being lashed out at. He might not be a bishop like his father but to him one of the best platforms to preach was the production. Religion he says has become too judgmental and preachy so he rather engaged people in the movie.
Prayer was an integral part of his childhood and it still was but people and maybe his father were not seeing it that way. He drew on his own experience with his father to direct a part of the movie to make a statement that flaws does not mean it is all lost. To him most fathers would not be patient with their wards when they for instance find drugs in their school bags as it happened in the movie. In his mind he could not help but imagine his father shouting, “Do you think I am stupid” even as he denied knowledge of the drug.

Dwelling in flaws to him is not the best; rather allow it to give you direction. That is why he thinks the timing for the movie was perfect. “It seems there is too much negativity in our society. There is backlash from the apartheid era, but we need to work on these issues. We pulled together to fight the regime and it worked eventually. Surely we can rise up again and overcome our difficulties?”