27 Jul 2020

Comedy is one of the fastest growing arts in Botswana, especially in the wake of the COVID-19, where people find themselves spending a lot of time on social media.

Just this month, 25-year old Baone Babotsi, popularly known as Belinda, made his debut on Facebook and within a week he had attracted fans even from South Africa, something which took him by surprise.

Apart from his dress code, usually a haphazardly tied head wrap, his signature phrase Moericho Swaare, which he uses to address his imaginary character sets him apart from the rest.

Despite the large following, he surprisingly reveals that he never intended to venture into comedy.

“Recently, I came home from church and decided to shoot a short video about a certain life experience targeting women and I put on a head wrap for emphasis.

I just used the imaginary name Moericho as my subject, while in actual fact I was addressing a general issue.

I was so surprised when I saw my video trending even outside the border because to be honest I never saw myself as a comedian,” says the Moshupa-born motivational speaker.

Unbeknown to him, this marked the beginning of many other videos and the more his fanbase grew, the more he felt compelled to communicate more life’s experiences.

However, this came naturally to him as he is well known for his good sense of humour and the impact he always makes around him.

Having taken part in local singing competitions like My Star and My African Dream in the past, Baone reveals his first love is actually music.

“I have always been passionate about music since my primary school days and I even did music as a core subject while at Moshupa Senior Secondary School.

I later joined Emastos Records Live Jazz Band as a back-up vocalist and moved to Just Jam where I am currently a vocalist.

It never crossed my mind that I could do comedy but I guess this is the time to explore,” he said.

He said that as a community builder and motivational speaker, he found the niche to use comedy to address women and issues affecting them by depicting everyday experiences that most people could relate with.

His love for motivational speaking, he explained, was inspired by his humble beginnings and his unpleasant experiences of the community questioning his sexuality.

He also uses vernacular to make humorous yet impactful statements in a casual way.

The whole intention is to rebuke women and make them aware of how they subtly contribute to their own abuse and downfall.

However, he is quick to explain that he does not absolve men from their wrong doing and gender-based violence that continue to rise.

Additionally, he said he chose the female brand name Belinda to depict that his art is centred around women who are the backbone of society.

“Mosadi o ka aga lolwapa ebile mosadi o ka thuba lolwapa.Mosadi o ka aga tshaba ebile mosadi o ka thuba tshaba. O ka supetsa batho tsela ebile o ka boa a ba timetsa,” he explained his line of craft.

Even though his short stint in the industry has already attracted many famous people who are interested in collaborations, he said he was currently focused on establishing his brand and growing a solo project before considering other ventures.

Consequently, his wish is for both government and private sector to support his talent by engaging him in promotions so that he could grow into a bigger and professional production.

Away from the entertainment industry, Baone is a well-known community builder and volunteer who participates in various projects and activities, especially those intended to speak for women and children.

Currently, engaged under the Government Volunteer Scheme at Polokwe Primary School, he said he spent time mobilizing resources to support women and children through his movement, Woman Cry Initiative.

Additionally, he is also a member of Moshupa Village Child Protection Committee and often gets invited to various community activities to give motivational talks.ENDS