Thandaza: accused of Imani’s murder
Thandaza becomes the main suspect when her surrogate Imani suddenly disappears.
It’s no secret that Thandaza (Sindi Dlathu) wants Imani (Zonke Nchunu) gone from her life forever. After all, her husband’s niece has broken Thandaza’s marriage and her relationship with hubby Ranthumeng (Brian Temba). However, the phrase “be careful what you wish for” comes to mind when Imani’s disappearance on Thursday 24 December is blamed squarely on Thandaza.
WHERE DID SHE GO?
On Friday 25 December, Ranthu goes in search of his fiancée Imani but can’t find her anywhere. He knows that Thandaza is still bitter about him requesting a civil divorce and immediately suspects that his estranged wife has something to do with his wife-to-be’s disappearance. Says Sindi, “Thandaza is humiliated by Ranthumeng taking another wife and wished that none of this happened, but she wouldn’t chase Imani away.” But Ranthu isn’t the only member of Thandaza’s family who thinks that she has a hand in Imani disappearing: her own son Vusi (Raphael Griffiths) confronts her on Monday 28 December about Imani’s whereabouts. To prove to Ranthu and Vusi that she had nothing to do with Imani’s disappearance, Thandaza offers a R5 million award on Tuesday 29 December to anyone with knowledge of Imani’s whereabouts. “When Thandaza’s son doesn’t trust his own mother, then she knows it’s time to do something about finding Imani,” Sindi explains.
A DARK PLACE
The hefty reward gets people talking and Thandaza’s inundated with phonecalls from people claiming to have info about Imani’s whereabouts on Wednesday 30 December. A young man shows up at Thandaza’s house on the same day, saying that he’s seen Imani and thinks that she’s staying at an old warehouse. By Thursday 31 December, the cops get involved and start a search party for Imani while Thandaza goes on her own mission to the warehouse. At the warehouse, Thandaza meets a man who claims to have legit info about Imani. “He describes Imani and thinks that she is hiding in the warehouse,” Sindi says. “She believes that he’s telling the truth.”
BLOOD ON HER HANDS
While Thandaza’s busy exploring the warehouse on Monday 4 January, the police find blood at Thandaza’s house in Joburg. They then test the sample and confirm it’s Imani’s, which further implicates Thandaza, as she has motive to harm or kill Imani. Furthermore, the cops have witnesses for the time when Thandaza tried to stab Imani on Friday 20 November. “Thandaza wasn’t in the right frame of mind during that time and is upset that it’s now coming back to haunt her,” says Sindi.
Meanwhile, Thandaza returns home when she can’t find anyone at the warehouse and is greeted by police officers who want to take her in for questioning. Thandaza is furious when she’s accused of murdering Imani and lashes out at the police on Tuesday 5 January. “Thandaza thinks that Imani is trying to seek attention and make her look bad in front of the family,” says Sindi, adding that “Thandaza takes it upon herself to find Imani and prove to everyone that she isn’t a murderer”.