‘I JUST WISH WE WERE HOME'

Tumi Morake and her family are stuck in the US, unable to return home – but as the comedienne tells DRUM, the experience has brought them closer together.

- SIYA TSEWU

THEY’d just renovated their family home when they decided to mix business and pleasure by taking a quick trip to the United States with their three children.

Now they’re stuck on the other side of the world after the dec­laration of a lockdown in South Africa to fight the spread of Covid­19.

But they’re making the best of it, come­ dienne Tumi Morake tells us. She and her actor husband, Mpho Osei­Tutu, and their three kids, Bonsu, Lesedi and Afia, are confined in Virginia.

They had flown to the US for business and a short holiday with the kids. But everything has been put on hold for now. She has a migraine, Tumi (38) tells us when we catch up with her via email. Her eldest son, Bonsu (11), will help her with ans wering the questions.

“We initially came to the USA to wrap up some business we have here,” she says. “We have a lot of stuffin the pipe­ line. We also planned to have a mini holiday because we have friends and family here.

“That all changed quickly short­ ly after we arrived as the scourge of Covid­19 wreaked havoc, taking most of the business we came to do with it. Luckily there is really no pressure for us to leave even if we are technically stuck here be­ cause all planes are grounded.

“We are exactly where we need to be.”

They’re using the lockdown to homeschool their kids. They don’t have a set routine as Mpho is better with the plans and Tumi just wings it, she says, but their routine makes the best of both their strengths.

“My husband is very good at sticking to a plan, map­ ping out days, etc., and I unfortunately fall into the category of loskop – so we do our best.