Where do I even begin with a letter to someone as amazing as you Mam’Thembsie?

I would like to start off by passing my sincere congratulations to you for your well-deserved achievements over the weekend at the Dstv Mzansi viewership choice awards. I continue to celebrate and echo your glory long after the awards show itself.

Kindly receive this open letter of mine.

You are a household name in the country, so loved and adored by many through the work you do. You have been able to successfully and with ease, translate something on paper into our screens and then have it embedded onto our hearts. The character you play in Mzansi Magic’s ‘The Queen’ relates and resonates with almost everyone. You play a simple yet significant role with such great excellence and passion. A role that is often seen as ‘small’ but has immense connections to our lives, upbringing and backgrounds – a role that has, in reality, helped raise and shape the lives and households of the majority. A role that many of our mothers, aunts and grandmothers execute on a daily basis in order to put food on our tables. It is one type of character that often rarely gets the spotlight and honour it deserves, one character that is looked down upon and not valued as much as it should. A character that you’ve made fun, fashionable and fascinating. A character that you’ve successfully made relatable, relevant and unforgettable.

I find it humbling that your success and recognition comes after a career that has spanned over 31 years and yet still finds you as loving, warm and humble about it. You are proof that there is indeed power in persistence, passion and persevearance.

Allow me to take you back to a couple of your early on-screen moments that won over our hearts. While we were catching up on our favourite TV shows back in the days, we would be entertained and thrilled by your fantastic, larger-than-life performances during the commercial breaks. Moments and scenes that have stayed with us longer than the brief seconds to minutes that they would have actually lasted on-screen. Adverts for big brands and products that most people connect with and use daily. How appropriate was the choice to use you for those adverts, as you effectively connected with the masses. It’s often rare for someone to easily captivate an audience during an advert, but you most certainly made me look forward to and enjoy the ‘not-so-popular’ commercial breaks!

I honestly fell in love with and started following your career after your supporting cast role ‘Sis Bee’ on eTV’s ‘Rhythm City’ and I feel delighted and impressed at the fact that you still seamlessly execute this character concurrently with the one of ‘Petronella’. I still, however, would love to see more of you on Rhythm City.

You are a natural-born, exceptional entertainer who, I reckon, is most probably a joy to work with. I am certain that your fellow cast members experience a thrill at being in whichever scene with you. I would battle to even focus or keep a straight face in your presence. Your superb on-screen skill is our healing as it not only brings intense and genuine laughter through the simple acts and mannerisms you do, it’s the honest reflection and representation of our own lives, homes and in a way, some of our families that you gracefully epitomize. This brings us immediate and lasting happiness and easily connects us with you.

I am certain that your journey to where you are now has not been a smooth one and that you’ve had to endure your fair share of delays, disappointments and setbacks but allow me to thank you for your undying spirit that has kept you going and eager throughout the years. I also thank the Fergusons for coming up with the role and for specifically selecting you for it because I feel it has been one of the best decisions that has been made for the show and our TV viewing in general.

Your life is proof that we must all go for our dreams and be adamant about where we would like to take those dreams and not be bothered as such about people’s opinions about us nor the time it will take to get there.

I admire the fact that you are unapologetically yourself at all times with whatever role you are tasked with and whenever you find yourself with the public. I heard you mention how you focus on entertaining yourself first before you proceed to entertain others during your acceptance speech and I was moved because it’s for that fact that makes all your performances outstanding, engaging and authentic.

Thank you for all the wonderful moments of laughter and entertainment that you always shower us with on ‘The Queen’. You are honestly one of the main reasons I enjoy following the show and I wish you well on your future journey with it.

While I am still at it, I wish you well again for any of your other future plans, including stand-up comedy, for which I feel is long-overdue. Your success with that stream is guaranteed, you’ve already prepared well for it and have our support. I also echo the resounding sentiments from your many followers on social media about the fact that ‘It’s your time now to shine!’ and that you are a ‘National treasure!’

I hope the accolades are proof to you and the world of the love, warmth and support that Mzansi viewers have for you.

Enkosi kakhulu Ma ngomsebenzi omhle owenzayo!