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Motswafere’s surprise come back
We were introduced to Motswafere as a feisty rising star 10 years ago when he was just 19-years of age.
The talented and sassy songwriter had entered the popular singing competition, My Star and dazzled the whole country with his electrifying performances.
He quickly became a household name until two years ago when he just disappeared from the public eye, turning away many requests for interviewees from Voice Entertainment because the timing was not right.
Last week he resurfaced from his long leave and The Voice’s Sharon Mathala caught with the 29-year -old Motswafere Sithole about his come back.
For the benefit of the few who have never heard of Motswafere, how would you introduce yourself to them?
I would tell them that Motswafere is a fearless young man from a village in the north of Botswana called Pata- ya -matebele.
I am a musician. I am am activist. I am a creative. I love everything creative and I am just a fabulous human being that just wants to enjoy life.
You have been away from the limelight for so long, why did you take such a bold step?
I took the bold step of being away from the limelight to refill.
I can’t pour from an empty cup so I needed to fill myself with great things, with affirmations and with everything that needed me to be strong enough before I can extend myself to other people.
I had to give myself to me before I give myself away.
I have been in the entertaiment industry for 10 years and I felt like I just needed time to just be away to reconnect with myself and come to terms with my spirituality.
In 2020, you were embroiled in one of your biggest scandals yet and you were charged with common nuisance. The charge came after you insulted one Ntema Ruwe who apparently failed to give you P 10 000 as he had promised. The incident spiralled out of control so much so that it reached the courts and you were fined P200. Tells us how this incident affected your life.
Well, the incident that happened before I actually hibernated was one of the things that I would have never seen coming.
It spiralled out of proportion so quickly and things were not going in my favour but I am so grateful that it happened.
I am a very strong person even when I go through bad things, I always trust that God knows where he is taking me and honestly the incident did not affect my life so much, but what did affect me was the break that I took as a result of it.
It affected my life positively because now I feel like I have grown so much as a human being.
It is these little things that people do to try and bring you down that make you stronger to rise again, and here I am being interviewed by you!
What would you say is different about you now as compared to you, say six years ago?
Six years ago I was really afraid and fearful and did not really go after my dreams as much as I wanted to.
Now I have changed my mindset, In six years the growth of my mind and how I view things is really different.
Right now I am more confident and trust myself more. I do things that I want to do, not what other people want me to do, I feel like I am more fearless now and ready to conquer.
What is the one incident in your life that you would say changed your life?
When I went to CoKe studio in South Africa.
I was there with Oliver Mtukudzi, Casper Nyovest and I was the only Motswana their at the time.
It is then that I realised I may actually have the talent that other people, beyond our boarders recognise.
It really helped me to not stop believing in myself and to just go for my dreams.
It made me believe that I can do it.
It was pretty much like a validation moment for me.
Tell us about your new music?
My new music is a different sound from what my listeners are used to.
It is a new sound that I crafted myself.
If you remember well during my days at the My Star singing competition I infused more rock type of music with the modern sound coupled with high energy performances and so my new music is really that.
I have been so afraid for a long time to actually tap into what I really want to do and now is the time.
It is pop rock, it is heavily influenced by the 80s fashion and sound, like your Janet Jackson type of vibe.
I honestly believe Batswana will vibe with it.
What is the inspiration behind the new music, what is the message in the music?
The inspiration behind the music is that we are just all human beings and the root cause of everything that is bad is when one feels the urge to hurt someone else, and when you go through that you need to just deal with it so that you don’t harm other people.
You have to fight that spirit, so the song actually speaks about everyone who is managing their emotions to not hurt other people, either through hate crimes, gender based violence, molestation, homophobia, transphobia you name them.
You need to really fight against it so that we could be able to live a life that is free and as one big family, that is the human race.
We can’t wait to vibe with your new music surely, so why did you decide to make a come back now?
I wouldn’t really call this a come back but it is more of me coming into myself again.
To do the things I like.
To do things that bring me joy.
It brings me joy to speak to people ‘s pain, to heal them of what they are going through because I went through the same thing.
I don’t shy away from speaking about my sexual molestation as a child, so there are so many people I have bonded with and even counselled to a certain extend through my story.
Confidence is another point that I always preach about to people who have absolutely no confidence in themselves to do anything for themselves.
I share a lot of information on that and tell people that I came from nothing and really made something of myself and it is all about harnessing your confidence and focusing on things that really matter.
So I came back because I really felt like this is who I am and that I have a lot of supporters that I feel a responsibility to speak to and help .
What has been keeping you busy?
I have been doing a lot of learning, harnessing my skills.
I really want to be like a one man show.
I feel like ideally for one to get the best results I have to be able to do everything or at least be knowledgeable about everything where you need to be.
I have been learning mostly how to produce my own music, how to do my own marketing, how to do my own designs and learning how the music business works online.
Entertainment law and just focusing on the bigger picture of where I want to go.
If you were to die today, what legacy would you leave behind.
If I were to do die today I would want to be remembered as the guy that took a chance on himself when no one was bold at the time.
When no one was bold enough to take up the space and be who they are.
I want to be remembered as that guy that just said I am who I am and you take me as I am.
I feel it has opened a lot of doors for other people like me to say , if Motswa can be, we can all be.
I want to be remembered for my music and my performances.
I want to be remembered as a kind person.
Getting a bit more personal, are you taken?
I am not taken, I am very much single and focused on a lot of things.
I don’t feel like there is space for anyone else but me in my life right now, but I won’t push the idea away if it comes and if it is the right person
When was the last time you had zero pula with you?
Well, I have a money box so I keep coins in it.
So I have never really had zero pula in a long time because, so I would have those coins.
So I don’t think I have actually ever been down to no coins at all. (laughs)
What do you consider a deal breaker for you?
My deal breaker is honestly someone that does not know how to communicate.
I really believe where there are doubts everyone should be able to communicate how they feel, what they want. How they want to be loved, how they want to be pampered, how they want everything even intimacy wise.
Thank God it is Friday, what will you be up to this Friday?
A. It is Friday, my song is out, it is called fight that spirit and everyone should check it out so I am probably going to go out and celebrate.
