The cover for the Apongozi TV Series
* Chidzanja-Nkhoma was a gem who added a luscious part to the movie — we will forever miss her incredible talent at HD Plus Creations
* She was in the special category on older talented actors who were rare to find in the country
By Duncan Mlanjira
Producers of the Apongozi TV Series, HD Plus Creations have honoured legendary broadcaster and actress, late Maria Chidzanja-Nkhoma for her incredible contributions towards the production of the movie.
Advertisement
Chidzanja-Nkhoma, former broadcaster with Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) and Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), featured in Apongozi TV Series before her death on January 9, 2021, acting the role of Apongozi.
Speaking on the sidelines of the official release of the all the 10-series of the Apongozi TV Series for online streaming on Friday, one of the directors of the movie, Gift ‘Sukez’ Sukali described Chidzanja-Nkhoma as one of the undisputable gifted actresses, “who added a yummy spice to Apongozi Series”.
“Apongozi TV series is a drama-filled movie whose quality, suspense and twists can never be appreciated without mentioning the legendary Maria,” said Sukez. “She was a gem who added a luscious part to the movie. We will forever miss her incredible talent at HD Plus Creations.”
Lady Groove Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma
According to Sukez, Chidzanja-Nkhoma was in the special category on older talented actors who were rare to find in the country: “Most movie productions which feature older cast fail to deliver because it’s not easy to find energetic and talented older cast — Maria Chidzanja-Nkhoma was one of its kind and irreplaceable.”
The first series of Apongozi were premiered on Zodiak TV in December 2022 and then airing on Zodiak’s Facebook page and HD Plus Creations’ YouTube channel.
HD Plus Creation has released all the 10 series of the action-packed drama that revolve around a matrilineal (chikamwini) family which lives with its five daughters and their sons-in-law.
The action of the drama rises when one of the sons in-law (Edwin Chombo) erroneously sends offensive pictures and videos of himself to his mother in-law (apongozi).
Soon after her passing on at Kamuzu Central Hospital on January 9, 2021, due to CoVID-19 related health problems, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter paid profound tribute to Maria for having worked as a broadcaster close to 39 years.
Until her passing, Chidzanja Nkhoma was the head of the section on women and children at ZBS and MISA Malawi took cognizance that she was “a source of knowledge and experience in broadcasting and will be remembered as an experienced and dedicated broadcaster and motherly figure to most journalists”.
Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma in her singing career along with Dave Green, Isaac Mkukupha, Emmanuel Manda, Stampie Kamwendo, John Longwe
Born on August 9, 1952, Maria Chidzanja Nkhoma joined MBC in March 1982 where she spent 12 years as a presenter, announcer and producer.
In 1994, she joined Channel Africa, South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) international service where she worked for five years before going to United Kingdom and United States for further studies.
In 2003, she returned to Malawi and volunteered with the Catholic-owned Radio Alinafe for close to a year before joining ZBS on part-time basis and proceeded on a full-time employee in 2006.
“Apart from being a broadcaster, she was a musician and stage-drama actor with huge interest in issues of women and children,” MISA had said in the eulogy. “Chidzanja Nkhoma dedicated her life to journalism and her passion for the media sector will always be in our hearts.”
Advertisement