Comedian Anne Kansiime collapses back stage in Zimbabwe

By Winstone Antonio | NewsDay |

Uganda’s queen of comedy, Anne Kansiime, temporarily lost consciousness back stage and sent her management team into panic soon after her excellent performance on Saturday at the Let’s Laugh Again comedy show at the Harare International Conference Centre.

Although Kansiime later regained consciousness, her lapse torched chaotic scenes as overzealous bouncers and her manager, Johnson Mujungu, tried to bar the media from capturing the incident.

Three local bouncers, under Mujungu’s directive, forced photo journalist Takawira “Photovet” Dapi to delete all the images he had shot and manhandled this reporter and ordered him to vacate the back stage.

“Why are you taking photos when someone is like this? Can I have that camera now, delete all the photos you have taken, this is uncalled for and shows lack of professionalism,” fumed Mujungu.

“I do not want to see any of those pictures published and if they are published you will not see Anne again performing in Zimbabwe. I need those photos to be deleted now.”

During her performance, Kansiime, however, proved why she is referred to as Africa’s queen of comedy with a rib-cracking show during which she showed her versatility as an actor, entertainer, singer and dancer.

She sent the audience into a frenzy with her grand entry onto the stage after 10pm as she danced to Ammara Brown featuring Tytan’s hit song Mukoko, showcasing well-choreographed dance routines.

The Ugandan then kept thousands of people who turned out for the concert laughing with her jokes derived from current issues in Zimbabwe.

“The last time when I came here it was a full house and today mmmm, this is a foolish house,” she said, much to the amusement of the audience.

She poked fun at women who used skin-lightening creams: “When I came here last time I said you were beautiful, but today you have become too beautiful, what are you using to become lighter?”

Controversial businessman, Wicknell Chivayo, was not spared the jibes either.

“I heard someone was supposed to buy a drink for everyone here. I heard it’s Sir Weakness who was supposed to buy all of you drinks,” she said.

Kansiime said God made the businessman rich because, given his chubby figure, he would not have looked good while poverty-stricken.

She tore into the Mighty Warriors following their miserable performance at the on-going Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

Kansiime questioned local fans’ continued support for the team despite its humiliating 6-1 at the hands of the Germans in the Group F opening match.

She then turned the heat on local rapper Stunner whose car rammed into four vehicles parked along Jason Moyo Avenue in Harare in June, leaving one person injured.

“I read these things in the papers, how is he, Stunner, my friend? Is he fine,” she said, directing the question to his ex and socialite, Pokello Nare, who was part of the audience.

She wrapped off her set with a song she said she penned for her mother and invited all the supporting artistes among them Sylent Nqo, versatile beat boxer Probeatz, Baba Shupi and Mudiwa “Hood” Mtandwa to join her on the stage.

After her performance, Kansiime later took to social network Twitter to express gratitude to her local fans for coming in their numbers.

“The whole of Zimbabwe showed up for me tonight (Saturday). I came for a show and it turned out to be a census where 5 000 plus Ninjas came to show me love. I feel pregnant,” she twitted.

While a lot was also expected from the hilarious South Africa-based Zimbabwean comedian Baba Tencen, popularly known for his Kuripwa Kugara video skits, who was also part of the show, the comedian failed to rise to expectation despite receiving a standing ovation when he got to the stage.

The 40-year-old Chivi-bred comedian’s dry jests left thousands of people disappointed as he proved that it was a different script to perform on stage unlike his usual rib cracking video jokes.

Baba Tencen failed to match the bar set by rising comedian Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya of Bustop TV who carried the underdog tag from the line-up of performers of the night, as her 10-minute debut solo performance on the big stage left fans clamouring for more.

During her exciting set, Gonyeti’s jests were centred on First Lady Grace Mugabe’s entry into politics, homosexuality and bond notes.

“Just look at me, I am prophetess Gonyeti and my type of men are those who travel in Zim 1 (registration number of President Robert Mugabe’s vehicle) and you can ask Dr Amai about that,” she said, sending the auditorium into laughter.

In her set she also satirically attributed the ouster of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru from Zanu PF, cash shortages and the coming of bond notes to Grace Mugabe’s entry into politics.

“You know what, the United States of America dollar is associated with God. It is written, ‘In God we Trust’, and it is only available where there is peace and if there is no peace, it disappears. Very soon all of us can be millionaires when the bond paper, oh, I mean bond notes come,” she said.

“I am just wondering, so if the United States of America dollar is written ‘In God We Trust’, what will be written on the bond notes, maybe.”