“One baby, please”
Nomalanga swaps tots and leaves hospital with Lerato’s baby.
Rhythm City Weekdays e.tv (*194) 19:00
Pregnant Nomalanga (Nomalanga Shozi) is fully aware that her baby won’t live long after birth thanks to a brain tumour, but that won’t stop her from being a mom. She is rushed in for an emergency C-section on Friday 2 March in tears and actress Nomalanga explains that “she feels it’s pointless for doctors to bring her baby into the world – it’s doomed to die.”
BLAME GAME
While the tumour is no one’s fault, the new mom doesn’t see it that way and blames her friend Lerato (Samukelo Ndlovu), who’s in labour at the same hospital. “Nomalanga thinks that bad energy transferred across from Lerato when she rubbed Nomalanga’s belly [offscreen] and affected her baby’s development. Obviously this isn’t the truth, but she won’t hear otherwise,” says the actress defiantly. And because of that, Nomalanga wants revenge!
The C-section goes smoothly on Friday 2 March and although they know the situation, the doctors suggest that Nomalanga’s baby go through a series of tests and be seen by a paediatrician. “But she refuses,” explains the actress. Instead, she demands to take her baby home on Tuesday 6 March to spend as much time with it as possible. “She feels guilty about not telling her husband Zolani (Melusi Mbele) about what’s going on,” says Nomalanga. “She believes that this baby is exactly what her marriage needs as her pregnancy brought them closer.” The new mom heads home on Tuesday 6 March with a baby in her arms, ready to tell Zolani that their child is dying. But the doctors have made a mistake, exclaims the actress: “They’ve given her Lerato’s healthy child!”
CHILD’S PLAY
“This baby is healthier and livelier than she expected,” admits Nomalanga the actress. “Deep down, she knows it isn’t hers… but she’s desperate to be a mom and keeps this secret.” While there is joy for Nomalanga and Zolani, there is devastation for Lerato on Thursday 8 March as she’s handed “her” baby and it dies in her arms. But that is the last thing on Nomalanga’s mind for now, because she’s got her happy family.