‘The Cracked Vase’: a tale of forbidden love

Denial and a lack of transparency can lead to the end of a beautiful and powerful thing called love.

A family in an informal settlement in Bloemfontein have been living a life full of happiness, regardless of their lifestyle.

But — they have skeletons in their not-so-secure closets.

Siwele, played by Mannini Nkata and Zwelibanzi by Siphiwe Mtshali, are a young couple who meet in Johannesburg searching for better lives.

They are from two different tribes, something which leads to their world crashing down.

Hope fades when they visit Siwele’s home in Bloemfontein.

The Cracked Vase depicts interesting family members with intriguing histories.

Siwele’s neighbour, Masetswa, played by Monapule Tsie, reminded me of that uncle every family, especially every black family, has.

The uncle is a former mineworker and thinks he was the most handsome man during his young days.

Masetswa’s character enjoyed his old blues and “stimela” beats.

But what he loved most was his brandy.

The story unfolds when Masetswa, after a bit too much to drink, spins a tale which rips open a chasm between Siwele and Zwelibanzi.

The young couple discover a secret that threatens to destroy their relationship — a blood connection.

The plot thickens and things become really tense when Siwele falls pregnant with Zwelibanzi’s child.

The first scenes open with Siwele’s family. There is jubilation, as she is going back home to reconcile with her mother, Shwelane, played by Pascaline Phale.

Shwelane was forcefully evicted by her sister-wives in Lesotho back when she was pregnant with Siwele.

She was oblivious to Siwele’s father’s doings, which is what led to the secrets.

Shwelane becomes a single mother trying to make ends meet by selling beer from her shack.

Masetswa is always living in the past, sharing his stories with Zwelibanzi, which leads to the awful discovery of their blood relationship.

Zwelibanzi grew up without his biological father, but was raised by a man whom he adored as he grew up.

But, since the discovery of who his biological father is, his attitude changes towards the love of his life, and he wants to focus on fixing things with the family of his deadbeat father.

This make Siwele furious and scared, because she has plans to marry Zwelibanzi and build a life with him.

The conflict between the couple rises as Siwele’s resentment grows towards her father’s other wives for mistreating her mother.

Though the situation is complicated, the couple’s love is so strong that they decide to cut ties with their families, who are against the union.

Something like Romeo and Juliet.

The two are not interested in what their cultural protocol says, they are going to marry. The beauty of African cultures can also be complex.

‘The Cracked Vase’ depicts interesting family members with intriguing histories

Regardless of what tribe you come from, if you happen to be blood-related, things can get complicated in your life.

That is, if you are a firm believer in ancestry.

The power of ancestors can really complicate things, which happened in Siwele’s family, as her mother collapsed due to a heart condition.

The show is really like a cracked vase, as one can tell when everything is going to fall apart due to the depth of the crack.

The use of Sesotho, English and isixhosa represents the storyline well, as the couple are from Free State and Eastern Cape, but work in the most multilingual province, Gauteng.

The show clearly teaches how important it is not to hide information, as it will eventually come out.

It also teaches people about the importance of customs in different cultures.

Director Mbuyiselo Nqodi said the inspiration for the storyline came from having his first child and growing up without a father.