Poised to be princess
Mpho has caught the attention of a very influential man in Thathe – Chief Azwindini!
Vho-Masindi (top) is out to stop the chief’s love. Weekdays SABC2 (*192) 21:00
Mpho (Azwimmbavhi Rammbuda) is back in the kingdom of Thathe on Thursday 13 October when the ex- girlfriend of local sangoma Mulimisi (Humbulani Tsharani) helps her friend Rendani (Innocentia Makapila) heal after her car crash in September. That’s when Mpho meets Chief Azwindini (Gabriel Temudzani), who’s quite the ladies man…
AT FIRST SIGHT
Mpho and Azwindini get chatty on Fri-day 14 October and says Azwimmbavhi, “The chief is there when Mpho accompanies Rendani to the Royal House, where the two girls are going to spend time while Rendani’s injuries can heal. The accident left Rendani with whiplash and Thathe is the ideal place for her to rest and not be distracted.” As for Chief Azwindini, he’s distracted by Mpho’s beauty and he sees some-thing special about her. Perhaps some-thing special enough to make Mpho a potential Royal wife…
ELDERLY DISAPPROVAL
The light flirting continues on Monday 17 October and says Azwi, “The chief looks for any excuse to chat to Mpho.” But he’s going to have to use all of his tricks to stay in contact with her – Mukwevho elder Vho-Masindi (Regina Nesengani) notices the chemistry between Chief Azwindini and the young woman on Tuesday 18 October. “The friendliness [between Azwindini and Mpho] worries Vho-Masindi, so she decides to put a stop to it before it goes any further,” adds Azwi.
On Wednesday 19 October, VhoMasindi drops hints to Mulimisi that his ex- girlfriend Mpho has returned and that they should rekindle their relationship because a beautiful girl like Mpho won’t stay available for long. While playing matchmaker for Mpho and Mulimisi, Vho-Masindi is doing the opposite for Azwindini and Mpho, telling her chief to be wary of the young lady and warning him to stay away from her.
ROYAL BLOOD
Mpho’s beauty has captivated Azwindini. But Azwindini is the head of the kingdom and he isn’t about to be told what to do by an old woman, even when it is an esteemed elder like Vho-Masindi. It’s not long before the Thathe chief is completely besotted with Mpho and while he’s flirting with her on Thursday 20 October, Azwimmbavhi hints that “there are feelings between the chief and Mpho, but at this stage, nothing is certain”. The next day, Friday 21 October, is a very good day for Azwindini because he learns that Mpho isn’t just any Venda girl – she’s the daughter of a neighbouring royal family.
“When he finds out about Mpho’s background, the chief is delighted as that makes him want to spend more time with his new love interest,” says Azwi. Pity that Azwindini’s immediate dreams of uniting the two royal houses appears to have gone down the drain on Monday 24 October – Mpho vanishes into thin air [only for a short while, unbeknownst to Azwindini], leaving the chief upset and blaming himself for scaring off his chances at a beautiful young wife.
REALLY ROYAL
It turns out the truth isn’t all that different from fiction – Azwimmbavhi really is a Venda princess. But unlike a lot of other real-world royals, the 28-year- old isn’t a spoilt brat and she believes in hard work. “I have always had a passion for music and drama,” she says. Playing Mpho since 2014 on Muvhango (1997- current) is her first big acting role – Azwimmbavhi auditioned in 2014 after graduating with her Bachelor Of Arts degree in Drama & Media. “I hustled to get here. It wasn’t easy because I auditioned several times before being cast,” she adds. Besides acting, Azwimmbavhi, who’s currently single, is also a house musician and a part-time model for corporate shows. But she does have time for herself and her young daughter, whom she had when she was in her third year of university. “When I’m not making time for family or my career, I’m watching TV and one of the shows that I’m obsessed with right now, other than Muvhango, is Breaking Bad (2008-2013).”