Mulife Muchali’s 2019 video in which he is being chased by a baboon resurfaced recently with many people either reposting it or using his aunty’s voice in the background to re-enact the scene.
Muchali (12), who hails from the Zambezi region, is a grade six learner at Delta Primary School.
The video starts with a baboon sitting on a car. The animal then climbs down and walks towards Muchali and a cousin, but targets Muchali, who was 10 years old at the time. The baboon starts chasing Muchali, with his aunt screaming for him not to run. However, Muchali doesn’t listen and speeds off with the baboon right on his heels. The video, however, stops abruptly, leaving many wondering what happened next.
The young boy told VIBEZ! that he was on holiday in Cape Town with family and upon coming down from a hill with his cousins and two aunties saw a baboon on their car.
“They said I should not run but I did not know what its intention was when it approached me. My aunty told me to stand still but I decided to run. That’s when my aunties started screaming ‘Mulife, Mulife don’t run, don’t run’ and I asked myself why are they saying that while I’m already running?”
“Thankfully, my shoe fell off and the baboon went straight for it and left me alone,” he explained.
Asked about the attention he keeps getting because of the video, the teenager said at first, he felt bullied and could not fit into his group of friends anymore, but now it’s a “normal” feeling as he takes the comments and attention lightly.
Muchali said he has learnt a valuable lesson, adding: “I’m just gonna stand still because I have learnt from this. I don’t see myself getting chased anymore.”
Using his instant rise to fame, Muchali now sells ‘Mulife Don’t Run’ merchandises, with proceeds destined for orphans in the Zambezi region.
“With the money, I will be helping orphans in Linyanti. I have witnessed that they don’t have school shoes and uniforms. Some even go to school on empty stomachs, so I hope to help in that regard,” he said.
Muchali’s favourite subjects are mathematics, science and design and despite his fame, is proud of himself for still doing well at school.
To get ‘Mulife Don’t Run’ apparel, contact him on Instagram - mulife_dontrun, TikTok - @mulife_dontrun, and YouTube -mulife_dontrun
- slunyangwe@nepc.com.na