Ghanaian actor in Botswana

GABORONE -- ? Augustine Abbey, one of Ghana's famous actors, is in Botswana at the invitation of Culture and Heritage Botswana Pageant Trust.

In an interview with BOPA, Millicent Shunda, the trust's spokesperson, said Ghana's celebrity was in Botswana to work with them to produce a television play on HIV/AIDS.

The trust, which has South Africa's Pamela Nomvete- popularly known as "Ntsiki" during her days with South Africa's Generations - as one of its board members, has been set up to promote the country's tourism industry abroad. It also promotes local companies such as financial institutions to countries outside Botswana.

"Abbey is here to study our culture and we will be taking him around the country to show him the diverse culture we have here. He will also be on the look-out for sites where the shootings for the drama will be done," Shunda said.

She said auditions would be held sometime in March next year, adding that they are currently scouting around for actors and actresses for the play.

Shunda further said her trust is sponsoring the actor's three-week tour, which commenced this week. At the time of writing, he had already met Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Balete and Kgosi Kgari III of Bakwena.

Talking to BOPA, Abbey who is popularly known as "Idikoko" in Ghana and by those who have seen the plays he took part in, said he met the organisers of Miss Tourism Pageants Botswana in Ghana last year.

"We talked and arrangements were made that I should come to Botswana to offer assistance in the production of a drama, hence my visit," he said.

Abbey showed BOPA four of the 13 drama pieces he has appeared in and produced. Some of his works have been shown on TV Africa.

The teleplays he has written and produced include "The Trial of Brother Jero", "Taxi Driver", "A Woman's Desire" and "Ultimate Paradise".

As a film producer, he has directed and produced "Bitter love", "Moment of truth" and "Tricky twist". His latest films are "Stolen pregnancy Part 1,2 and 3.

Abbey says he assisted in the production of "Tricky tricksters", a BBC documentary, adding that some of the teleplays he produced have in the past been shown on Ghana Television.

"I am looking forward to start working on the AIDS film in connection with the up-coming Miss Tourism Africa International.

I will help in every way possible to make the film internationally acclaimed and an ward winning one," said Abbey who derived his name (Idikoko) from "Idikoko in Triple Echo," a movie he played a leading role in.

Miss Tourism International Pageant is set to take place next year and will be hosted by Botswana, according to the trust's spokesperson. BOPA