Thuthuka Mthembu says people need to stop thinking celebs are immune to difficulties.
Image: Thuthuka Mthembu’s Instagram
Uzalo actress Thuthuka Mthembu may be one of the most exciting young talents in Mzansi, but she wants y’all to know that she is not about that lavish life and is definitely not immune to difficulties.

The star had her life turned upside down when she took on the role of Nonka on the popular soapie. Now people recognise her in the streets, and fans clamour for snaps with her.

Despite this, she told TshisaLIVE the life of a celeb is all that.

“The reality is that being an actor in SA is not as glamorous as people make it out to be. People have an expectation of what it should be like, but we are just normal people. The same challenges you face, I face.”

Like all of us, celebs have had to adapt to the “new normal” and change the way they work.

On the set of Uzalo, safety is the number one concern and actors now wear masks all the time.Thuthuka admitted this has made her job a little more difficult, but said it was necessary to ensure everyone stays healthy.

“The work we do requires us to get up close and personal with each other, so it has been incredibly challenging and we have had to do things differently.

“We have our masks on and we are doing a lot of communicating with our eyes. It has to happen for the safety of all of us.”

Kanye West has received mixed responses since tweeting that he has ambitions to become president of the US.
Image: Gary Gershoff/WireImage
Hip-hop mogul Kanye West continues to be a hot topic on social media following his announcement that he will run for US president in November.

He shared the news on July 4, which marked Independence Day in the US, via a tweet which has garnered more than one million reactions as his fans and music industry colleagues weighed in.

West announced in 2015 during the MTV Video Music Awards that he would run for president in 2020.

Among his supporters are his wife, reality TV star and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian West and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Some mocked him and others expressed concern that he could potentially contribute to Donald Trump returning for a second term by taking votes from Joe Biden, Trump’s opponent.

The BBC reports that West does not appear to have registered with the Federal Election Commission for the November election. On the data base, there is a registered candidate named Kanye Deez Nutz West.

This is what people said about his candidacy:

Somizi Mhlongo having fun with his mother, Mary Twala.
Image: Instagram/Somizi
The bond between Somizi Mhlongo and his mother, legendary actress Mary Twala, has never been a secret.

The TV personality has always spoken fondly about his mother, openly celebrating her and thanking her for being his role model.

He said he celebrates her every day, and that he knew her love for him was “unconditional”.

Twala died on Saturday, aged 80.

Tributes for the actress, who became a household name after starring in several theatre and film productions, have been pouring in since news of her death was confirmed.Here are just six moments from the pair that illustrates the bond between mom and son.

“She is a legend” Spoiling mom Surprise days The fun side Always time for a laugh Love wins

Actress Mona Monyane has spoken out about how being born in Zimbabwe caused people to be xenophobic towards her.
Image: Instagram/Mona Monyane
Actress Mona Monyane has opened up about xenophobic slurs hurled at her during her younger years when her schoolmates found out she was born in Zimbabwe.

Mona is a South African citizen, born of two South African parents who were exiled in Zimbabwe at the time of her birth.

She took to Twitter recently to describe some of the horrible experiences she’s endured at the hands of xenophobic South Africans

“I was born in Zimbabwe because my parents were activists and they were exiled. When kids at school found out, they legit called me “lekwerekwere”, made fun of my skin tone, the way I spoke English well,” Mona said.Mona said while she is definitely a citizen of Mzansi, she was still seen as “a foreigner” by some people.

“South Africans carry a lot of toxicity, hatred and judgment. I am not ashamed of who I am. My parents fought for our freedom. I carry my identity with great pride.”

The actress hoped to illuminate her observations that a lot of “South Africans are very intolerant of black people who aren’t the ‘same kind of black as them’.”

Mona also talked about the fact that it took more than two years before she was a smart ID holder, and reasoned it was because she was born in a different country.

“I do have South African citizenship, just to clarify. I was not able to get my smart card ID at the same time as SA-born citizens for some reason. They said it was because I was born in a different country.”

Mary Twala died on July 4 in Johannesburg.
Image: Instagram/Somizi Mhlongo
A video of media personality Somizi Mhlongo describing his iconic mother, Mary Twala, has resurfaced on social media following her death.

The veteran South African actress died on Saturday morning in the Netcare Park Lane Hospital.

She was 80 years old and had been struggling with her health for several months.

Somizi confirmed the news on Instagram, saying: “The tree has fallen. I am shattered to the core but I’d be very selfish if I don’t release her. My mom lived to the fullest and achieved beyond her dreams.”Speaking to Anele Mdoda on SABC’s Real Talk in 2017, Somizi opened up about how his mom was always by his side when he was broke from 2006 to 2009, a period in which he was also sick.

In the now-viral video, Somizi can be heard describing the late Mary as a “perfect” example of a mother.

“My mom got me through that period. She was there for me throughout,” he said. “If you want to see a perfect example of what a mother is, go to my mother.”

Somizi also compared her strength to American actor Chuck Norris.

“That woman is my Chuck Norris, my everything. My mother has never turned her back. When was I sick or when the world said I was dying, my mother was there.

“When they said I was broke, my mother said ‘until maybe I am broke, you can say you are broke’. When sh*t hit the fan, my mother came and saved me.”

Watch the video below (skip to 8:10 minute mark)