Dad, is that you?
TV personality Jesse Suntele jumps into his new role as club owner Suffocate’s secret son Mzi.
Weekdays e.tv (*194) 19:00
When Mzi (Jesse Suntele) lands in Joburg on Monday 7 May after a dispute with his family in Ghana, he goes for drinks at club Kilowatt and unknowingly bumps into his biological father Suffocate (Mduduzi Mabaso). The pair were separated when Mzi was 11 but “they immediately recognise each other after all these years,” says Jesse. Although the men want to make up for lost time, Jesse warns that reformed gangster Suffocate won’t find it easy to cope with it at first. “Suffo has long moved on since he last saw Mzi. He is now a devoted family man, married to Puleng (Tebogo Khalo) and he has two new kids, Busi and Nqobi (Thabo Ntshubela and Khwezi Ntsika Mbabela), so it’s tough to adjust to an adult Mzi being back,” adds the 25-year- old Jesse, who broke into acting in 2016 when he won BET’s talent search show Top Actor SA (2015- current).”
How does the usually talkative Suffo react when he first spots Mzi at his club? Suffo, much like Mzi, is in total disbelief! He didn’t think he’d ever be reunited with his son after Mzi was taken to Ghana so many years ago. He is filled with a million questions that he’d like to ask Mzi and, of course, he is keen to revive their once-strong father-son bond. They’ve been apart for over a decade; how has that changed their relationship? Like with anyone who hasn’t seen a relative in years, it’s a little shaky in the beginning, but after some time it becomes easier to open up to each other. Mzi wants his father’s acceptance and he doesn’t want to risk losing this chance to reconnect. Why did Mzi leave Ghana and randomly end up at club Kilowatt? He got into trouble with the law, which angered his family, so he had to escape. Mzi’s story doesn’t add up and it leads Suffo to question him about his return to SA. He later cracks and spills the beans, but Suffo is still unsatisfied with his response and remains suspicious. You also played serial killer cop Tuelo on Mzansi Magic soap The Queen (2016-current) in January 2017 – very different from your new role… Mzi is a family- driven law student. He is a “normal” guy and he speaks isiZulu, which is a challenge for me as I’ve never done it before. Unlike my other roles, Mzi is a good guy and wants the best for his family.