Hostage hell in Thathe
A psychotic Mulalo crosses the line when he holds the royal witchdoctor against his will.
Chief Mulalo (Sydney Ramakuela) is sure that he’s being haunted by ghosts. He has been hearing voices and seeing things that no one else can since Tuesday 6 November. “He is confused and scared and he is always on edge,” explains Sydney. “He has no idea what is happening to him, but he knows one thing: the royals are to blame!” Mulalo thinks that former chief Azwindini (Gabriel Temudzani) and the royal spiritual advisor Mulimisi (Humbulani Tsharani) are playing nasty tricks on him and there is nothing he can do to stop his downward spiral. “Oh but there is,” says Sydney with glee. “Mulalo is going to take control of the situation and take Mulimisi hostage [on Thursday 22 November].” There’s a problem though when he pulls off his scheme: Mulimisi and Azwindini aren’t behind the supernatural things happening to Mulalo.
SPIRIT WORLD
“The ancestors are punishing him,” warns Sydney. “He was appointed the new chief by a court of law in August and didn’t follow royal protocol. He did things his way, which has upset the ancestors.” As punishment, they are inflicting supernatural events upon the power-hungry ruler, adds the actor. “The first sign that something wasn’t quite right was when he saw lion footprints in the royal house [Wednesday 7 November] and when he called the royal family to show them these footprints, they weren’t there.” There are voices too and that’s not even the worst, says Sydney: “He’s seeing dead people! Like in that movie [The Sixth Sense, 1999]. And Mulalo is talking to them like they exist.”
CRAZY BLIND
The end is nowhere in sight for the chief though – he was blinded by the angry ancestors on Friday 16 November. “This pushes him over the edge,”
Sydney reveals. Although it’s temporarily and his sight returns, he’s lost the plot and takes out his anger on everyone around him. “For Mulalo, all these events are caused by the people around him. Not for one minute does he think this is his own doing. That is how arrogant Mulalo is,” says the actor. The tension in the royal house scares his new Shumi (Carol Netshitungulu) and the actress says that acting it out was equally scary. “Shumi is terrified. The things that he is saying and doing are confusing. She worries as she knows that he is a hot-head and might do something erratic.”
Shumi tries to help on Wednesday 21 November by consulting the other traditional healers, including her sworn enemy Vho-Mukondeleli (Elsie Rasalanavho) who hasn’t wanted her around. No one is willing to help because Mulalo is such an unpleasant man. He doesn’t listen to reason and he disregards all traditional protocol. The only person who they think might talk sense into Mulalo’s head is Azwindini. “He is more in tune with the ancestors and how things are done in the royal household,” says Gabriel. “Azwindini knows right away that it’s not black magic at work but the ancestors and they have come down on Mulalo like a ton of bricks. He has invited all these events on himself since he didn’t follow the rules of the royal household.”
TELL OR DIE
Mulalo isn’t a patient man and opts to sort out his issues before Shumi can ask Azwindini for help, turning the royal compound upside down on Friday 23 November. “The chief locks Mulimisi in his room. He thinks that the sangoma and Azwindini are attacking him and they have to stop now!” Wild with rage, Mulalo threatens to torture and kill Mulimisi on Friday 23 November. “This goes on for hours and the whole time Mulimisi pleads innocence. Mulalo beats Mulimisi with a sjambok until he loses consciousness!” says Sydney. Mulalo is ready to throttle the life from his hostage on Wednesday 28 November just as Azwindini kicks in the door. He calmly talks to Mulalo, convincing him that Mulimisi and he are innocent and that rather it’s the ancestors who are warning Mulalo to step down as chief before its too late. “He doesn’t listen and he screams that they have bewitched him,” explains Sydney. That blind rage gives Azwindini the opportunity he needs and he knocks Mulalo out with a single blow. “Wow – one punch! The ex chief means business,” says Gabriel. While Azwindini tends to Mulimisi, Mulalo escapes on Monday 3 December. “He wants to find his first wife Teboho (Liteboho Molise), thinking that she is the only person he can trust now to save him from this madness.