Green violence
Nina rolls out her masterplan by brainwashing Wade.
Wade (Dean John Smith) is blinded by love for his new girlfriend and meditation coach Nina (Charlene le Roux). She is an extreme treehugger and resorts to vandalism to prove her point. And if that isn’t enough, she manipulates Wade further by isolating him from his brother Ty (Maurice Paige).
TRUE COLOURS
Initially Nina was key in helping Wade to “breathe again”. “For the first time since his ex- girlfriend Zoe (Lauren Joseph) had an abortion [in August], he feels better, all due to Nina,” says Dean. But it soon becomes clear that Nina is anything but good for him. On Wednesday 7 November, her true colours starts to shimmer through when she targets Oos-Wes restaurant. She believes that the way the prawns are caught is unsafe for the environment. She warns customers off with pamphlets and it works as the restaurant runs empty. “She takes everything to the extreme and she’s almost a cult leader because for her, everything is about power and to manipulate,” explains Charlene. Wade is angry at first because his friends work at Oos-Wes, but Nina convinces him quickly to take her side and support her just cause.
CRUEL DEEDS
But Nina doesn’t stop there. Aalwyn Pharmacy is next on her hitlist because they apparently sell products that are tested on animals. But this time she doesn’t stop at merely handing out pamphlets. Pharmacy owner AB (Cedwyn Joel) arrives at work to find it completely vandalised. Wade is shocked when he hears about the event later that day. “He immediately suspects Nina, but she defends herself again and wraps him around her finger even more,” says Dean.
DISTANCE & ARGUMENTS
There’s another restaurant attack in Camps Bay on Thursday 15 November, which upsets Ty and his girlfriend Lee-Ann (Portia Joel) who can’t believe that someone could be so cruel to a business. When Ty tells his brother how he feels, Wade sides with the vandals to Ty’s disappointment. “Later that day, Nina hears about the brothers’ disagreement and encourages Wade to distance himself from Ty,” says Charlene. The men fight on Friday 16 November when Ty suspects that Nina is controlling Wade, ending with Wade moving out of their apartment on Monday 19 November. Is he becoming an eco-terrorist like Nina?