Blast from the past
Angolan reality star Weza Solange joins Generations, giving Tau some Hope.
Hope can’t believe her ears when she answers. Weekdays SABC1 (*191) 20:00
Remember when Tau (Rapulana Seiphemo) went missing for months after his wife Karabo’s (Connie Ferguson) wedding to second husband Zola (Mutodi Neshehe) in May? He returned in July with a story about getting mixed up with the wrong crowd in Angola [Rapulana was recovering from a serious car crash in real life]. He almost didn’t make it, Tau said. And here’s the reason he did – her name is Hope (Weza Solange).
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
After a flashback to his time in Angola, Tau calls Hope on Thursday 13 October and she’s surprised to hear from him. “We meet Hope in a dramatic flashback scene with her boyfriend and Tau. Hope is told to keep an injured Tau alive,” says Weza. “He’d been captured and tortured because of a diamond deal gone wrong while on a trip to Angola. Hope saved Tau’s life and they formed a bond.”
BLOODY DIAMONDS
Not that it’s a romantic bond, because Tau is still married even though Karabo fled in August and Hope has a man in Tau picks up the phone and calls Hope. her life. “Hope’s past is still a bit of a mystery. She is a caring nurse who fell in love with a thug named Zuko (Prince Ochube),” Weza explains. “Hope always tries to see the good in people and her instinct is to help first and deal with the consequences later. She’s involved with a thug, but she’s against what he does and thinks that she can change him.” But what happened in Angola doesn’t stay there – viewers see it unfold when Hope and Tau cross paths again thanks to Zuko, who’s kidnapped her in exchange for the diamonds Tau stole when fleeing Angola. To complicate matters further, Hope’s life is worth a lot to Tau since she saved him.
PLAYING HOPE
Weza considers Hope as her return to SA screens. “She goes through a whirlwind of emotions; one minute she’s brave and taking risks and the next, she’s fragile, broken and helpless. She is unpredictable, emotionally driven and that’s what makes Hope so different from the other characters I’ve played,” says Weza. “I guess you could call this my official comeback to SA TV since [playing Fumi Uche in telenovela] Inkaba (2012-2013). The fans asked and I’m here to deliver as promised.”