Nandi, the angel of death
The Moroka family are out for vengeance and they want Nandi to pay for helping their elder Uncle Molefe commit suicide.
When Nandi (Brenda Mhlongo) volunteered at the local hospice in late December 2017, she didn’t think that she’d be at a centre of a scandal weeks later. The Moroka brothers Mazwi and Smanga (Musa Ngema and Moopi Mothibeli) barge into the building on Wednesday 31 January to question Nandi about her involvement in their uncle Molefe’s (Mothusi Chebeletsane) death but she pretends like she doesn’t know what they’re talking about. “Nandi grew very close to Uncle Molefe during his last days. He couldn’t tolerate the amount of pain he was in and his cancer was eating up his brain cells,” explains Brenda. But the old man
wasn’t prepared to die a slow and painful death with people pitying him. He talked his carer Nandi into helping him end his suffering – and all that she had to do was leave a handful of sleeping tablets at his bedside on Friday 12 January 2018 for him to end his life. “Uncle Molefe’s death doesn’t add up to the Moroka brothers. They want answers and they believe that Nandi is behind his death because he changed his will and testament days before dying, leaving a huge chunk of money to Nandi. They’re digging everywhere for answers and Nandi is pushed into a corner where she has to tell the truth about what she’s done,” says Brenda.
HOT UNDER THE COLLAR
Nandi’s problems don’t disappear when Smanga and Mazwi leave the hospice. Instead, they worsen as her new patient knows about her little secret and she wants Nandi to help her commit suicide. If Nandi refuses, her secret will be whispered into the Moroka brothers’ ears. Uncle Molefe told his fellow patient what Nandi was willing to do for him and now she is being blackmailed for helping the old
man. Uncle Molefe was manipulative and convinced Nandi to go against her morals and become just as bad as a murderer, explains Brenda. “While Nandi wants nothing to do with killing another patient, she knows that the only way she can escape this patient’s threats is if she admits what she did”.
Nandi is ready to face the music on Friday 2 February when she comes clean to her hubby Jack (Vusi Kunene) and daughter Sphe (Pearl Monama) that she helped Uncle Molefe commit suicide. “They are shocked! They think that she’s joking but then they realise that she’s serious,” says Brenda. Unlike ruthless Jack, Sphe doesn’t sympathise with her mom; she’s disappointed and believes that she should own up to her crime by telling the family. “Nandi is terrified. She wishes that she could pack her bags and leave, but she has to take charge of this issue before another patient discovers her secret.”
MIXED FEELINGS
Nandi ignores Sphe’s advice to tell the truth. She returns to her normal routine at the hospice and acts like everything is fine until she learns that the Morokas have ordered an autopsy to investigate Uncle Molefe’s death on Tuesday 6 February. “The autopsy reveals that he died from an overdose of sleeping pills. According to the dead man’s medical files, he wasn’t prescribed sleeping tablets, so all fingers point to the person responsible for taking care of him; Nandi. And the Morokas want her to pay,” explains Brenda. Smanga wants Nandi to serve jail-time for giving his uncle the sleeping pills and he wants to call the cops on Wednesday 7 February but Mazwi stops him. “Mazwi believes that it will tear the family apart. Nandi is Mazwi’s mother-in-law and he cares for her. He realises that everyone makes mistakes and Nandi shouldn’t go to jail for ‘ following’ Uncle Molefe’s instructions,” adds the actress. Smanga and Mazwi later agree to call the Moroka elders and let them determine Nandi’s fate.
SLIP AWAY
Smanga’s fury boils over on Thursday 8 February when the Moroka elders suggest that Nandi get off scotfree. They don’t want to ruin their relationship with the Mabaso family but Brenda says that her character “isn’t thrilled. She thinks that she doesn’t deserve the Moroka family’s compassion as mercy killing is still a crime”. Smanga is beating himself up for not being there when Uncle Molefe was battling cancer. He thinks that if he knew in time, he could’ve saved him and he believes that having Nandi punished will get rid of his guilt. “Nandi doesn’t get her ‘get out of jail free card’ easily though. The Moroka family tell Nandi to stop volunteering at the hospice and she has to return the money Uncle Molefe left to her,” says Brenda. While it’s difficult for Nandi to leave her job, it’s better than facing a prison sentence. “Although Nandi loves giving back and helping people, she doesn’t like to see others in pain so volunteering at a hospice isn’t for her. She has to find her true calling that won’t involve killing her patients.”