One favour too many
Sphe has blood on her hands when gangster Sikhumbuzo “hires” her to take care of his injured gang members.
Physician Sphe (Pearl Monama) realises that her dilemma of aiding criminals is far from over when bad-guy Sikhumbuzo (Muzi Vilakazi) demands her medical expertise to help one of his wounded thugs. “He orders her to remove a bullet from his gangster friend’s chest and Sphe has no other choice but to do the job,” says Pearl. Sphe helped the gang after a heist in January and “she thought that it was a once- off thing,” explains Pearl. But Sikhumbuzo manipulates her into undertaking more surgeries in his apartment or warehouse. Sphe feels trapped – every time that she refuses to help him, he threatens to leak a video that he took of her wrapping a wound on a gang member’s head in January. “She risks losing her medical license and her reputation if the law is involved,” adds the actress. But Sphe is on the verge of insanity and doesn’t want to tell her husband Mazwi (Musa Ngema). She doesn’t want him to get involved with the dangerous gang. “The illegal operation puts strain on her marriage and her job at the hospital. She’s struggling to keep her head above water,” warns Pearl.
MOB DOCTOR ON CALL
With Sphe in Sikhumbuzo’s hold, he summons her to the warehouse whenever one of his buddies needs care. She drops everything to help but “it’s wearing her down. She is always anxious and when Mazwi asks, she either shouts at him or shuts him out,” says Pearl. Working for the gang is much more stressful than operating Sphe’s day job at the hospital. “The hospital has appropriate equipment and medi- cation needed to save lives, whereas this warehouse is the opposite. It isn’t clean and the criminals die while she’s operating because they lose a lot of blood,” adds Pearl. Sphe takes her role as a doctor seriously and despises the many fatalities that occur at the warehouse. “She’s hard on herself. Although they are criminals, she wants to help them and save their lives.”
OUT OF HAND
Because Sphe can’t tell Mazwi about what she does behind closed doors, her ex-fling and gangster
Gadaffi (Vuyo Dabula) is the only person she can open up to about Sikhumbuzo’s pestering. “Gadaffi understands the gang life and it’s his fault that Sphe is in this mess anyway,” says Pearl. Sphe saved Gadaffi’s life in early January this year after he was shot during a mob heist and his gang rushed him to Sphe for medical assistance. “Sikhumbuzo saw Sphe as a great prospect to make money. She is efficient and because she’d already crossed the line by helping Gadaffi, she would help his gang whenever there was a shooting – and there is always a shooting,” says the actress sternly.
INSULT TO INJURY
Sikhumbuzo has Sphe on a tight leash. He not only has the video, but he pays her after operations. Although she refuses the money, “It is his way of keeping her a prisoner. If Sphe runs to the police, Sikhumbuzo will tell them that they had an agreement. There is no way out for Sphe but to continue to work for Sikhumbuzo. He’s threatened to destroy her life and reputation,” says Pearl, adding that “Sphe has completely lost her freedom and the only way to get out of his trap is to either tell her family or get rid of Sikhumbuzo once and for all,” reveals the actress.