7de Laan
Chris hasn’t been entirely honest about his past and Lesedi.
7de Laan Weekdays SABC2 (*192) 18:00
As if the Welman family’s lives aren’t messy enough thanks to cheating scandals and lies throughout 2016, worse could be on the way. And it’s got something to do with patriarch Chris’s (David Rees) past and lawyer Lesedi (KB Motsilanyane), who moved into Hillside in April this year. Whatever it is [we know but we’ve been sworn to secrecy] has Chris in a panic, especially because his wife Mariaan (Deirdre Wolhuter) is like a bloodhound sniffing down the tiniest of scents.
COOL AS A CUCUMBER
Chris and Lesedi teamed up in early May and he’s mentoring her in the business world, bringing her on some of his construction projects. Viewers will be able to pick up something in the air between them, almost like there’s a link somewhere. It’s not Mariaan that Chris should worry about, it’s his admin manager Aggie (Mimi Mahlasela). On Wednesday 24 May, while sorting his paperwork in Oppiekoffie, she comes across a document showing that Chris paid for Lesedi’s studies anonymously through a Trust. Loose-lip Aggie lets slip to Charmaine ( Vinette Ebrahim) about her discovery and on Thursday 25 May Charmaine bumps into Lesedi in the bookshop and tells her about the find. “Lesedi is speechless. She knows nothing about this,” says KB. Later that day when she goes to the Beleef deli, Lesedi is cool, calm and collected when she sees Chris. “They start talking about work and she nonchalantly thanks him for paying her varsity tuition,” reveals KB. Chris is taken by surprise but downplays it and says that the Trustees made the decision, not him.
WHAT THE CONNECTION?
7de Laan’s producers have been tightlipped on the link between Chris and Lesedi, but Deirdre shed a little light on the matter. “Lesedi’s dad Jacob (Patrick Shai) was childhood friends with Chris and had worked on the Welman family farm for years.” On Monday 29 May, Chris starts having nightmares and screams Lesedi and Jacob’s names in his sleep, waking up Mariaan who then asks her sleeping hubby a few questions in the hope that he’ll tell her the truth. Before saying anything more, Chris wakes up and Mariaan’s going to have to wait until Wednesday 31 May for the truth when she confronts Chris and Lesedi. And it’s a whopper!