The Sunday Mail
The drama associated with this season’s Big Brother Africa (BBA) began more than a month ago — first with the dumping of originally selected contestants from Ghana and then the subsequent frantic search for Ghanaians resident in South Africa.
Then a few days later the house, which was supposed to be used for season nine, otherwise known as Big Brother Hotshots, was gutted by fire leading to a postponement of the show.
In an unprecedented move, the producers of the reality show, M-Net and Endemol South Africa, began announcing the contestants of this season’s show to whet the appetite of their followers while frantically hunting for a new house.
Twenty-six housemates from 13 countries had been revealed by the time of going to print, with only two more housemates left.
Those who will perform at some of the Big Brother events during its 91-day run are already known.
The million-dollar question being asked by the reality show’s fans is: “What is the surprise awaiting them then?”
The suspense, save for the show itself, which is largely dependent on how entertaining the housemates are, seems to have gone.
Traditionally, the world is supposed to know the housemates of that year’s edition on the launch date.
Maybe the organisers have something under their sleeve.
We just have to patiently wait for 9pm tonight to see what that is.
As for Zimbabwe, the show fans can only hold their breath ad hope for an embarrassment-free season.
Over the years, the show has managed to arouse differing emotions among Zimbabweans.
However, most seem to agree that the reality show presents three months of uneasiness.’
Each passing year, housemates representing Zimbabwe have taken turns to embarrass the nation and this has been driven mostly by the “silly” stunts that they pull in the house, all in a bid to last the distance.
Norms and values have been blown to smithereens. Acts considered as taboo in our society have proved to be the much-needed action for survival in the house. Some of the unorthodox acts have been committed way before the start of the reality show to attract the attention of the contestants’ selectors.
It is highly believed that one of Zimbabwe’s representatives in the show last year, Pokello Nare, got her spot in the house following the leak of her sex-tape with popular rapper Desmond “Stunner” Chideme.
Allegations are that the Harare-based socialite deliberately leaked the sex-tape to get fame and subsequently boost her chances in the reality show.
While in the house, most Zimbabweans held their breath as they feared Pokello would give them yet another shocker considering her desperation for survival and the steamy relationship she had with Ghanaian Elikem Kumordzi, who is now her fiancé. The fears were of course justified.
A bad precedent had already been set by former UK Big Brother contestant Makosi Musambasi, who steered great controversy, probably the worst to date in any reality show that Zimbabweans have participated in.
Makosi would frequently pose nude and was involved in a number of lesbian kisses. To put a seal, she also had sex live on television during the course of the UK reality show.
Rockford “Roki” Josphats and Maneta Mazani have also not been outdone in disappointing the nation.
While Roki appeared to be on course to winning the top prize in 2012, the two were disqualified for violent conduct. This did not only embarrass the two but the nation at large.
The two were supposed to be a team – but instead chose to fight. Due to this unruly behaviour, they ended up exiting the house prematurely, much to the chagrin of their fans.
“That house is stressful, most of the time you end up going out of your way just to survive,” said Roki while trying to justify his unacceptable conduct which led to his premature eviction.
The truth of the matter is that Big Brother Africa has had more negatives than positives in cultural values.
The 26 contestants that had been announced by Thursday are Goitse and Sheila (Botswana), Kacey Moore and Ma’m Bea (Ghana), Melvin Alusa and Sabina (Kenya), Mr 256 and Sipe (Malawi), Trezagah and Mira (Mozambique), Luis and Permithias (Namibia), Lilian and Tayo (Nigeria), Frankie and Arthur (Rwanda), Nhlanhla and Samantha (South Africa), Idris and Laveda (Tanzania), Ellah and Esther (Uganda), Macky2 and Resa (Zambia), and from Zimbabwe, Butterfly and JJ.
