Walking, talking ATM
Kwaito is expected to carry his family’s financial burden while his mom MaNtuli finds work – but he’s falling short.
As the man of the house and the sole breadwinner, Kwaito (Clement Maosa) puts his family’s needs ahead of his. Instead of buying himself a pair of Italian leather shoes that he’s been eyeing for some time, his salary goes towards household utilities, groceries and his unemployed mother MaNtuli’s (Dieketseng Mnisi) bills. “It feels like he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders,” says Clement. “He is in his 20s and while his peers are travelling the world or saving towards their future, he is putting food on the table for his entire family, which is emotionally draining as well,” explains the actor. As an intern, Kwaito’s salary isn’t much but he believes that it’s his responsibility to give back to his singlemom who sacrificed a lot to get him through varsity. It’s the “burden” of the Black Tax – the need to financially support and improve the lives of family members while neglecting your needs as you want them to share in on your success. “This is too much pressure for Kwaito. It affects him emotionally and we see him sulking at every turn,” explains Clement. And it’s not about to get any easier for the youngster because he’s got a burst geyser to replace on top of everything else.
STRAPPED FOR CASH
When the Seakamelas find a pool of water in the bathroom in the early hours of the morning, everyone looks at Kwaito to take care of the problem. “The timing couldn’t be any worse,” says Clement. “It’s mid-month and he has already spent most of his salary, so he doesn’t have money to fix the leak right away,” adds the actor. Kwaito’s solution is that the family bathe in bowls until month end, but “his sister Pretty (Lerato Marabe) and nephew Clement ( Vusi Leremi) are having none of it. They complain at the inconvenience of having little water to bath but there isn’t much that they can or will do either. It’s that or nothing.”
MEATLESS & ENRAGED
With money tight, Kwaito refuses to buy meat on certain days of the week, suggesting that his family eat strictly vegetables. “They demand that he buys meat every day but he can’t afford to. At times Kwaito retaliates in anger because he is expected to do too much for the family,” explains Clement. If it was up to Kwaito, he’d buy himself an entry-level car but “it feels like he doesn’t have much of a choice when it comes to giving back to his family,” says the actor. Although he wants to spoil himself every now and again, his family need him now more than ever with his older sister Sthoko (Innocent Sadiki) still out of town and MaNtuli job hunting after she was fired from her secretarial job at the hospital last year. “The burden of giving back is exactly that. It’s a heavy load to carry around. But it wouldn’t make sense for Kwaito to drive a nice car while his family is suffering.”
MONEY PROBLEMS
Kwaito encourages Pretty to get a parttime job to ease his financial strain but her arrogance won’t let her waitress at Katlego’s (Patrick Seleka) restaurant. “Kwaito tries repeatedly to convince her to get a job but she won’t budge,” says Clement. “Pretty and MaNtuli need to pitch in because Kwaito is drowning. They need to help him before the stress affects his ability to work. Then who will take care of the family?”