All hail the chief

The village of Bhubesini surrounds Chief Duma’s office, where the leader plots and plans his next move for his people.

The Bhubesini village is located on a property in the south of Johannesburg that was student accommodation for nearby schools and the University Of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus. Minimal work has been done to make the buildings fit the soapie’s setting and style, explains Isibaya line producer Maqubool Mahomed. Weekdays Mzansi Magic (*161) 20:30

When it comes to powerplays and other moves, Chief Duma (Muzi Mthabela) can’t be rushed. Muzi explains that the empty desk “fits the chief’s personality. He’s big and bold and straight to the point. Duma doesn’t like clutter”. And that made it easy for the set dressers to style the Bhubesini office, explains line producer Chief Duma’s office is neat and structured to give a feeling of balance and control. “It’s where he makes his decisions and entertains business guests, so he needs to make it clear that this is his domain,” explains actor Muzi Mthabela. Maqubool Mahomed. “Everything was sourced in Johannesburg, either from our warehouse and storage rooms or from stores that fit the décor.” While Isibaya’s design team have used tricks to cut corners (they’ve filled the files with old scripts to make it look like documents – fans won’t get a look inside the files) and not plugging in the lights, the couch suite is expensive leather and adds to the chief’s aura: he’s a powerful man who only wants the best for himself and his people. Chief Duma’s office sits at the far bottom end of the compound (centre in the main image). The books are real and were sourced at secondhand bookshops and from the production house’s other shows. They include works from Howard Kipling and John le Carré to give the chief a sense of being well read and great intellect. Look closely – some of the books are packed upside-down. The files have pages in them should a character “need to check the paperwork”. Not that the pages will be of use – they’re old scripts from Isibaya and other shows.

There is a framed photo of Bhekifa (Vusi Kunene) on the wall, who had a significant impact on the villagers and the taxi industry. “The businessman took no prisoners and got his way, one way or another,” explains Muzi.