No hugs for thugs
Mob daughter Nosipho dumps crooked Qhabanga and her gangster mom!
Uzalo Weekdays SABC1 (*191) 20:30
Qhabanga’s (Siyabonga Shibe) double life blows up in his face on Wednesday 3 January when his darling Nosipho (Nompilo Maphumulo) finds out that her snuggly bear is actually a gangster. “She dumps him right there and then. There isn’t even time to talk about anything. The main issue here is the honesty – he hasn’t been honest with her,” says Nompilo.
But the actress admits that even if Qhabanga had owned up earlier, it’s unlikely that Nosipho would have stuck around. The thug life is her big dealbreaker. “I think she would have appreciated the honesty, but when it comes to criminals, she’s very sensitive. I’m not sure what she would have done,” Nompilo admits. “Nosipho is only looking to be loved and be happy and live a normal life.” And while that’s bad news for Qhabanga, it’ll be good news for Nosipho’s other love, faithful officer Mondli (Thembinkosi Thwala) on Friday 5 January… and bad news for another big gangster in Nosipho’s life on Tuesday 9 January.
NO SHADY MEN
Nosipho sees Qhabanga’s pain, but experience has shown her what it is really like to live with a criminal. “She feels betrayed by all the men in her life. When she lost her father [ Muzi “Gxabhashe” Xulu, played by Mpumelelo Bhulose, who fled KwaMashu in February 2016], it left a huge void. Then there was Amos (Ernest Msibi), who was a criminal who prostituted and abused her [in April and May 2017]. Now she doesn’t want to be associated with anything illegal or anything criminal,” says Nompilo. “She feels like she needs a male figure in her life to love her, but it’s just not happening.”
TRIANGLES MEAN TROUBLE
Nosipho walks out from Qhabanga’s arms and his house and she moves in with Mondli on Friday 5 January. And Nompilo warns that it is a big mistake. “She doesn’t give herself time to cool down. It doesn’t give her time to be on her own or find herself, and I think that’s mainly why her relationships don’t go well. It’s a Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang), Ridge (Thorsten Kaye), Thorne (Winsor Harmon) situation now!” she jokes, referencing the notorious love triangle from US soapie The Bold & The Beautiful (1987- current, see p28). “From this one to this one back and forth. It’s not healthy. She needs to take time to sit back and reflect on the things that have happened. I don’t think she is done going back and forth yet.”
MOTHER vs DAUGHTER
There’s another tough conversation in store on Tuesday 9 January when MaNgcobo (Dawn Thandeka King) visits Nosipho and the mother and daughter finally have it out. Deep down, Nosipho is secretly terrified of becoming her mother. “Her mom’s lifestyle is beautiful and Nosipho loves how she carries herself with confidence and dressing well. But when it comes to men, she dates thugs. She gets married to thugs. It scares Nosipho because she can see the results of being a thug’s wife right in front of her. That’s what scares her most with the whole Qhabanga thing,” explains Nompilo. “She wishes her mom was like, ‘No – no more crime for me.’ But her mom comes there and tells Nosipho to her face, ‘It is time that you get used to it, that your mother is a criminal.’ And that’s like, bam! Nosipho has wanted her to admit that she has been keeping a secret, now Lindiwe just told her to her face,” says Nompilo.
TOUGH CHOICES
Shooting the resulting bitter argument scene was tough, Nompilo admits. “We are close and love each other. So having to fight was hectic. We cried after filming that scene because we had to get into character and make that a reality and true to the story. Even characterwise, it’s not as easy because Nosipho doesn’t want her mom to be like this. She wishes her mom would be different,” says the actress. But Nosipho will find it even tougher than she thinks to cut ties with the underworld.