Family comes first
Zolani is putting his life in danger to keep Lindiwe from going to the slammer.
The River Weekdays 1Magic (*103) 20:00
If there’s a problem in the Dlamini house, Zolani (Lawrence Maleka) is always on standby to sweep it under the rug. The tough guy will do what it takes to protect his adoptive mom Lindiwe’s (Sindi Dlathu) reputation, even though he was speechless when she murdered miner Thato (Don Mlangeni) with her bare hands in episode 1 (Monday 29 January) to save her mining company. “When it comes to Lindiwe, Zolani is in it for the long haul,” says Lawrence . “He feels protective because she saved him from a troubled childhood. He won’t let anything stand in his way,” warns the actor. That includes Thato’s daughter Itumeleng (Larona Moagi), who searches for clues to her dad’s death on Wednesday 28 February and digs a little too close to Lindiwe for Zolani’s liking…
Who is Zolani? One minute he’s caring, the next he’s cold and steely. He is as complicated as they get. He has a dark side but overall, he’s a good guy. He grew up in a dangerous environment where he witnessed a lot bad things that ultimately changed his perception. So witnessing Lindiwe strangle and drown Thato didn’t affect him? It surprised him that it was her doing it, but it certainly didn’t affect him. Zolani has seen a lot of people die in front of him. Seeing Lindiwe murder – now he knows that like everyone else, she isn’t perfect. Thato’s daughter Itumeleng seduces him – surely he smells a rat? Zolani is used to girls who wear weaves and lots of make-up, so Itumeleng is a breath of fresh air. She’s feisty, independent and goes after what she wants and that is what he’s looking for in a girl. But he doesn’t know that she wants to ruin Lindiwe’s life? He doesn’t! Zolani forgets his issues when he is around Itumeleng. She brings out his soft and mushy side. Lindiwe saved him from a bad childhood and now he’s living in a mansion with rich family. That’s quite a change. It’s a totally different world to his youth. Unlike Lindiwe’s entitled kids Andile and Mbali (Lunga Mofokeng and Zenokuhle Maseko), he’s had to work to achieve his goals. He finds the kids annoying and unappreciative and resents their attitudes.