Man-ipulation
Petra’s work problems are worsened when she realises that her manager Mike isn’t going to stop his advances.
Since returning to Legacy Investments, Petra (Trix Vivier) hasn’t had the best of times – thanks to her new manager Mike (Russel Savadier, Gary in comedy series Taryn & Sharon, 2017). He’s a sex pest and he’s about to be exposed. “Sexual harassment is never revealed in one action.
It’s a series of comments, micro aggressions that make the victims (most often women) uncomfortable,” explains Trix. “When the physical abuse takes place, the victim has been so manipulated that they question their sense of rationality.” Having turned unsuccessfully to Angelique (Michelle Botes), who brought Mike to Legacy, Petra takes matters into her own hands – and she has every right to in the important realworld storyline. “As a woman in film, I have absolutely experienced what Petra is going through,” adds Trix.
CREEP SHOW
Mike is your typical corporate monster who uses his position and influence to force people to do things they normally wouldn’t. “Mike knows exactly what he is doing. He has done this before, like opening his hotel door wearing a robe. He wants something (sex) and because he’s of significant business value thanks to his close relationship with key government officials – they choose to overlook his behaviour,” says Trix. Legacy is trying to tie up a multi-billion rand cellular tech deal and Mike is vital to its agreement, adds Trix. “Do the maths. If they lose him, they lose business.” But Petra isn’t going to take it lying down.
WOMAN AT WAR Angelique (inset) is in denial.
When the sexual harassment started, Petra opted not to go to Legacy CEO Dineo (Kgomotso Christopher) because of their situation (Dineo fired Petra in March for insubordination). “Angelique is the first point of contact. But she fobs off the claims,” explains Trix. That changes when Angelique brings up Mike with her daughter Liz (Reandi Grey) and learns that he did the same to her.
But this time, Mike has a determined opponent. Petra decides to wear a wire to their meeting, hoping to get Mike to implicate himself. “I absolutely think she is doing the right thing,” explains Trix. “It’s not an easy thing to do. Yet Petra cannot let this go on, despite trying not to cause waves at Legacy after getting her job back. We (victims) can only change things if we speak out and make our voices heard. Sexual harassment is not okay. And Mike is going to learn that.” The question is how this will affect Petra’s position at work – or will justice prevail?
PREVIOUSLY
Sims begged Petra for forgiveness and agreed to help her expose her new manager for the monster that he is, and Dineo went to her lawyer Sandra Stein as her stepdaughter Felicity prepared to fight Sebastian’s will in court.
5 – 6 MAY
Dineo has a romantic dream about Msizi that she can’t make sense of, and Petra is dragged further into Mike’s game of manipulation. Dineo is ready to lay her murdered hubby Sebastian to rest at last, and Sanele confides in Sims that he’s worried about Petra getting deeper into trouble with Mike. Angelique asks her daughter Liz if Mike was ever inappropriate with the Price girls, and Lexi flirts with Sims.
10 – 14 MAY
Petra tells Sanele that she’s playing a game of her own with Mike but he’s a lot more dangerous than she realises, and Msizi realises that Dineo is pulling the strings in their relationship. James tells his mother-in-law Angelique that he is compiling evidence against her enemy Dineo, and Lexi tries to keep a straight face at the breakfast table. Stefan warns his sister Petra about getting too involved with her boss Mike because she is naive, and there is drama at Legacy Investments when Dineo suspends Felicity and James. Angelique has a womanto-woman meeting with Petra and apologises for not believing her about Mike, and James exposes Msizi’s affair to his wife.
17 – 18 MAY
Willem goes on a coffee date, Dineo has a confrontation at the office, and Felicity tells her half-brother SJ something about his mom.
CAST: Angelique Price Michelle Botes •Anthony Craig Hawks •Detective Badenhorst Andrew Buckland •Charlie AJ Cullinan •Dineo Price Kgomotso Christopher •Elizabeth Price Reandi Grey •Felicity Price Mary-Anne Barlow •Gordon Price Neil McCarthy •James Robert Hobbs •John Don Mlangeni Nawa •Jonno Richard Gau •Kedibone Clementine Mosimane •Lexi (Alexandra) Price Jay Anstey •Magda Knowles Rika Sennet •Mike Russel Savadier •Msizi Zulu Siyabonga Thwala •Nirvana Leeanda Reddy •Petra Potgieter Trix Vivier •Sandra Stein Shannon Esra •Sanele Teboho Tsotetsi •Sebastian (Seb)
Price Deon Lotz •Sefako Zenzo Ngqobe •Sims Lunga Shabalala •SJ (Sebastian Price Jr) Anton Jeftha •Stefan Potgieter Sean-Marco Vorster •Willem Potgieter Dawid Minnaar