PICS: Legendary actresses get top honours!

LEGENDARY actresses Leleti Khumalo and Dr Thembi Mtshali-Jones were honoured on Wednesday, 28 August.

They, respectively, received their Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Golden Elephant Lifetime Awards ceremony at the Market Theatre in Newtown, Joburg.

The awards were created by Duma Ndlovu.

Speaking at the event, the creator of Muvhango stressed the importance of appreciating actors.

"I'd like to thank each and every one for coming out here this afternoon. I do believe that will go a long, long way and is extremely necessary in our society. I spent about 15 years in New York, did a lot of work with South African culture, and interacted with musicians, actors, and painters," said Duma.

"I got to see how Americans acknowledged each other and themselves. There's hardly a time when they'll do something expectational and not clap for themselves. And true to their belief, we stop what we're doing to watch their shows and awards, such as the Oscars, Grammys and more.

"When we returned from exile, there was that feeling that we could appreciate each other. Appreciate those who are doing exceptional things, and these awards are doing just that," he said.

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Leleti Khumalo thanked Duma and said she felt honoured.

"This is so emotional. I'll tell you why. My career started here. This venue launched my career. When I'm here, it all comes back. It's an honour. We're three days away from closing Women's Month. What a way of saying thank you to our fallen heroes," said Leleti.

"It's an honour and a privilege to share with a legend like mam' Thembi. She's everything to me. Especially in the industry, where I always say you should have someone to hold your hand. I started when I was young and needed someone to guide me. I'm here today because of the person who guided me, and I'm proud of who I am."

Dr Mtshali-Jones said it's been over 50 years since she started in the industry, and it feels great to be honoured.

"This has been a long journey for me. When I started this business in the 70s, we were only performing for white people. Our people didn't have theatres. When I started, I was on Ipi Tombi performing for white audiences, and my dad would ask me every day, 'What the hell are you doing?' He had no idea what we were doing. There were no theatres for them.

"We're deeply honoured and grateful to receive the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the second annual Golden Elephant Ceremony. It's a recognition of our years of dedication to the arts, and hope to continue inspiring others through our work," she said.