Join SABC2 tonight at 7:30 when Meshack Mavuso goes back into time to trace his family history. This South African actor is best known for his role as Vusi Moletsane on the SABC3 soapie Isidingo.

He was also one of the celebrity dancers in the Strictly Come Dancing New Year Special, which was aired on SABC2 on 31 December, 2008 and his his dance partner was Robynn Soules.

Nthathi_Moshesh

Join SABC 2 + Ancestry24 on a voyage of discovery as we track the ancestry of some of South Africa’s most influential celebrities. Who Do You Think You Are? is a  re-run of the 12-part documentary series commencing on SABC 2 from Monday 30 November at 7:30 pm.

Be captivated as well known personalities such as Nthati Moshesh, Candice Moodley, HHP Jabulani Tsambo, Riaan Cruywagen, Meshack Mavuso and Kurt Schoonraad go in search of their family history, bringing them face to face with the hidden stories of their ancestors. These celebrities will have a pivotal role in the series; their stories will be used as “emblems” of the historical trends that have created modern South Africa and their experiences will enthuse viewers to think about and start exploring their own family ancestry.

Each episode is presented as a highly personalized film, yet the wider historical themes they reveal situates the audience in the broader South African historical context.

South Africa’s most comprehensive ancestral and genealogical service, Ancestry24, assisted producers and researchers of Who Do You Think You Are? Ancestry24’s Channel Manager Heather MacAlister spent many hours in the archives and at various other repositories to assist with the research of the individual celebrities.

Join us as we effectively travel back in time to meet the featured celebrities extended family and those that knew them, and walk where their ancestors lived and worked.

The international series format has triggered a general interest in family history and a return to libraries, museums and domestic travel as people go back to the small towns they or their families came from.

The first episode of this groundbreaking series features actress Nthati Moshesh. Nthati Moshesh is adored by her film and television fans throughout the country and beyond our borders. Nthati is best known for her leading roles in the drama series Home Affairs and the soapie 7de Laan.

Nthathi also happens to be the great, great grand-daughter of King Moshoeshoe, the first king of Basotho.

Nthati crosses the border into Lesotho to speak to historians and family members, and travels to understand her ancestry. Will she decide to change her name back to Moshoeshoe or will she remain Moshesh? But why is her surname now different? What happened along the annals of history?

There’s only one way to find out. Be sure to tune into SABC 2 at 7:30 on Mondays, 30 December for the first episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

To find out more about your own ancestry go to ancestry24.com or vist www.sabc2.co.za for more information.

Please see below for full broadcast schedule:

30 November 2009 – Nthati Moshesh

07 December 2009 – Riaan Cruywagen

14 December 2009 – Meshack Mavuso

21 December 2009 – Candice Moodley

28 December 2009 – HHp/Jabulani Tsambo

05 January 2010 – Kurt Schoonraad

Acknowledgements SABC 2

WHO do you think you are?

A familiar question which, if you say it that way, is likely to recall scenes of childhood chastisement, run-ins with authority and, worryingly, an annoying catchy hit from the Spice Girls circa 1997. For growing numbers of people, however, the question has led them back in time to uncover family history and, in the process, clues to their own identities. Spurred on by easy access to Internet-based information and the desire to find our place in the global village, armchair genealogy has become one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world.

Celebrities have also fuelled the obsession for looking into the past: Oprah’s much publicised search for her `roots’ led her to the Kpelle people of Liberia, dispelling her rather overzealous claims that she is from Zulu descent. The BBC documentary Who Do You Think You Are? has traced several celebrity family trees including Graham Norton’s and Nigella Lawson’s and our very own local version of the documentary will uncover genealogies of quite a few familiar faces. For whatever reason, genealogy is an important study. It’s about preserving stories and memories that are at risk of being lost over time. It’s about bearing witness and discovering shared histories from those who have come before us.

WHY TRACE DEAD PEOPLE?

Historically, genealogy was a necessary discipline. For nobility, compiling very detailed and accurate records was absolutely essential to determine inheritance and ensure that the correct heir would inherit

the throne. Today, genealogy still has a practical purpose beyond collecting the names of relatives and gluing them onto a cardboard family tree.

Heather MacAlister, who is the channel manager of Ancestry24, lists some of the main reasons why people look into their family histories. The first is the search for a long-lost family member. There are countless stories of families being torn apart by circumstances beyond their control and how genealogical tracking plays a decisive role in helping to bring people back together.

An even more common reason is the pursuit of an ancestral visa. Many young South Africans hold out on the possibility of an elusive family connection in a foreign land in order to make their own passage across as effortless as possible.

Another important and perhaps not widely known reason is to trace a hereditary disease. Nthati Moshesh, Scandal! actress who took part in the South African version of Who Do You Think You Are?, can vouch for this: `During the show I learnt that I inherited a mild form of asthma which dates back to my elders. Also, part of my family’s blood trail carries diabetes. Knowing that now, I can keep healthy.’

Other less serious motives to look into the past are to prove a family legend true, to know who all your living relatives are or to find out if there is any sort of relation to a famous historical figure. In her research, MacAlister has made some interesting discoveries: Hugh Grant’s grandfather, Major Grant, was born in South Africa and his family can be traced back to the 1700s in the Cape. Who knows, you too could be related to Hollywood royalty!

IT’S IN THE ROOTS

Starting a family history can become a deeply personal experience. History that is taught has its limits as it doesn’t necessarily reveal what makes each of us different and unique. Piecing together the puzzle of a family history can, and may, result in an unexpected journey of self-discovery. In literature, from the early quest fables to the modern bildungsroman (a protagonist embarking on a journey that results in illumination and discovery), it is understood that going on a journey, particularly into the past, is a necessary process when searching for identity. In other words, uncovering historical roots is essential for an enlightened existence.

In our chaotic, modern world people are constantly searching for meaning and looking into the past as a means of uncovering it. Dion Chang, ELLE’s fashionista at large, who also took part in the local documentary, says: `We are so preoccupied with chasing ahead and embracing the new, that we forget that the strength of the springboard that propels us forward usually lies hidden in the past. It is not essential to understand your past and the journey of your roots, but once you do, it provides a much clearer perspective to navigate the road ahead. In essence, it is just a much stronger base from which to view your life.’

We are all inextricably linked to stories from the past and with our melting pot of cultures and influences in South Africa, the psychology of finding `roots’ seems particularly relevant. Although I am 100 percent South African, my story is multi-layered and begins in Lebanon with chapters in France, Ireland and Wales. I think that finding out where I came from is essential in knowing who I am. And the journey, I believe, will end in profound insight.

HOW IS IT DONE?

Tracing family histories has become easier. The Internet has helped with enormous amounts of information available online. MacAlister says that if you can’t find what you want online the information in the public domain is housed in various National Archives repositories around South Africa: Department of Home Affairs, Master of the High Courts, libraries, museums and the Deeds Office to name a few. (There are also researchers who’ll do the work on your behalf — see Practically Speaking, opposite.) Before visiting any of these places, though, start by constructing your own family tree and work backwards systematically (Ancestry24.com has a beginner’s guide which you can download).

Before writing this story I had delusions of grandeur about my own family tree. I come from quite a diverse background: my mother is half Irish, half Lebanese and born in Wales, her mother was number fourteen of fifteen siblings (all scattered around Lebanon) and my father, though South African, has both Welsh and French ancestry. I thought I would simply interview a few family members, gather the necessary information and instantly be connected to long lost relatives from around the globe. Ha!

It is a project that could take years depending on how far back into the past I want to go. I was pointed in the direction of Geni (www. geni.com) to help me construct my family tree. It’s quite a find: easy to navigate, no subscription fees to join and no paper or glue needed! After uploading my immediate family’s details, an email was sent to them saying I requested their inclusion on my family tree. Once they accepted, they could take part in updating the tree and invite relatives to do the same.

There is always one family member who seems destined to spearhead the ancestry project and that role immediately became my sister’s, who approached the assignment with gusto — phoning and emailing family members who could provide information to allow the tree to grow. Compiling this family tree has not only got most of my relatives talking but has brought about a sense of family pride: a connection to the past as well as a connection to each other has further strengthened the bonds that already exist.

At the time of writing, all fourteen of my grandmother’s siblings have been added (thanks to my eager cousin Fred who has diligently updated the tree), my father’s grandfather’s branch of the tree is complete and there are several offshoots of other family branches of distant relatives who are also updating their own family trees. I have dubbed Geni `Facebook for the family’ because that is exactly what it is — there’s a home page where updates of `Family News’ are posted, there’s statistics on how people are related and it connects people from all over the world.

As a child, I remember hearing stories from my grandmother about her childhood and still today there is a familiar feeling of magic and nostalgia when I think about it. Geni has opened up the possibility of connecting to the past and allowing these family members from my imagination to come alive through an actual connection to them. Sure, it is not going to be an easy or quick journey (and other sources will be necessary) but it is one that I enthusiastically embark upon knowing that this broad and labyrinthine process is burgeoning with possibility. ?

What did these celebrities Learn from the experience?

‘It helped me answer a whole lot of unanswered questions about my family’s past (my father’s side of the family have lived in SA for a century already) as well as appreciate the strength, perseverance — and especially sacrifices — they had to make, to build a better life for themselves… and ultimately for me. It was a humbling experience. I also learnt how my family story was intertwined with history (the cultural revolution in China, Japanese invasion in World War II etc). Ultimately, I also learnt to appreciate my South African heritage through my Chinese roots. I now classify myself as a global citizen, but proud South African. – Dion Chang

‘I learnt that everybody has a rich history no matter who you are. I learnt that I had an uncle who loved Shakespeare and I love the performing arts, so in some in sense I followed in his footsteps although he wasn’t an actor by profession. In our personal traits we are genetically connected to our ancestors. One either makes way for it or embraces it.’ — Nthati Moshesh

Written by Michael Owen

Elle Magazine October 2009

Controversial cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro aka Zapiro came face to face with his Jewish roots on SABC2 on the 20th September 2009 in the last episode of “Who do you think you are?”

Acknowledgement and kind permission for use of cartoon from his official website. Get invited to his book launch. www.Zapiro.com