Drum Beat: Teclar’s attitude smacks of sour grapes

Standard People
I was not at the airport when Teclar Mazanhi, who had a dismal stay in Big Brother Stargame and was among the first to be evicted, returned home on Tuesday, but our team that went to meet her was surprised when she snubbed the media.

Our photographer had to use his wit to take her pictures as she made her way to a gateaway car. When indications from our sources in South Africa were that Teclar would not talk to the media on arrival, we thought it was speculation and hoped, if it was so, she would change her mind on her way or on arrival and on meeting expectant journalists.

Even her relatives who came to meet her are said to have been unfriendly to journalists and protected Teclar from talking to anyone.

Although she made a negative record of the worst show of all time in Big Brother, I feel snubbing journalists was unnecessary extreme caution.

They had all seen her and how badly she performed in the house. She was on camera daily and many already knew her weaknesses. Had it been just after the eviction show, it would be argued that she was overcome with emotions and needed time to settle down.

 

But then,  when she arrived home, she had had two days to calm down and realised it was not her game.  Above all, she had already shown insecurity in the house and should have seen the eviction coming. It was not a big surprise at all.

The whole country had witnessed how unpromising she was and many felt she would be better out of the house. When Zimbabweans voted for her sister Maneta, it was mainly because they saw potential in her and logically acted to give her more time in the game.

 

Teclar should know that with viewers of Big Brother, it is representation of their countries that comes ahead of individual personalities. People want their representatives to win even before they know who will be going to the game because it is a case of national pride.

So, for her to be disappointed to the point of refusing to tell the nation about her experiences in her short stay in the house and even her expectations for her sister who remained, sounds irrational.

She could have simply answered a few questions, register her disappointment and say good wishes for her sister. Simple! She would never have been forced to answer questions she deemed uncomfortable or offensive.

Although she probably had high hopes of competing for the US$300 000 and imagined what she could do with the money before she got into the house, she had to understand that it was just a game.

After all, there were supposed to be first evictees and she was unlucky to be one. Everyone in the house had an equal chance to be evicted first before they went into the house.

Teclar does not have to be angry with anyone. She should be happy that her sister is still in the game and publicly rally behind her. At least Zimbabwe was not like Tanzania that lost both housemates in the first eviction, or Nigeria that saw both housemates in the Downville House voluntarily leaving because one of them had a health problem.

 

A squandered opportunity

 

Very few people knew Teclar before she went to Big Brother and the impression most of us have of her is hinged on her actions in the house, she could have taken the opportunity to let people know the other side of her that is not bound by certain rules, spending days and nights with strangers from different cultures and being constantly on camera.

 

She was not supposed to make us believe that the uninspiring Teclar who dismally failed in the house is the same Teclar outside the show.

For all, we know that characters exhibited in reality shows are mostly not completely real life characters although a certain level of reflection cannot be escaped.