Keeping up with the Ngwenyas
A juicy offer from taxi boss Samson helps the valley’s new family to settle in
Isibaya Weekdays Mzansi Magic (*161) 20:30
Rumours are doing the rounds of a powerful, rich new family who’ve moved into the valley on Tuesday 3 May – and they’re also in the taxi business, like Isibaya’s Zungu family! Who exactly are the Ngwenyas and what drama are they bringing? We’ve got the info straight from the family head, iconic soap villain Menzi Ngubane (Sibusiso Dlomo from 2003 to 2014 on Generations, 1994-current).
Who are the Ngwenyas? There are four people: Judas [played by Menzi] and his second wife Beauty (Thuli Thabethe), their daughter Ntombizama (Linda Mtoba) and Qaphela (Abdul Khoza), Judas’s son from his first marriage. There is also another child from Judas’s first marriage but they live with their mother [whom viewers are yet to meet]. Judas met Beauty, asked her out the next day and then they married after their first date. She’s the love of his life. So what are they doing in eBhubesini? Their backstory is that Judas’s older brother Ngonyama (Mzwakhe Mbuli) was once a powerful taxi boss with industry contacts everywhere. Samson (Bheki Mkhwane) visited Ngonyama to forge some sort of an alliance, but Ngonyama is retired and he told Samson that Judas will look at the offer. They meet and Judas accepts Samson’s job opportunity. What can you tell us about Judas’s taxi business in town? He owns a taxi rank in KwaMashu, but his dream is to own a taxi rank en-route to Joburg, like the one from eBhubesini. Samson’s offered Judas just that and they’re going to split the profit, but Judas is hoping to take over from Samson. Until then, he’s training his son Qaphela to run a taxi rank. And is he able to? Judas is very protective of his kids and training Qaphela isn’t easy, but he starts off by putting him in the role of second-in-command. If somebody owes Judas money, Qaphela’s sent to make sure that person pays up. So money plays a big role for the family? They’re crazy but there’s love in the family and a love for money. Judas hands over a stack of money to his wife to do what she wants. He spoils his women.
Qondi adjusts to her new position in the valley’s royal household, while new queen Sihle buddies up with Mbodla. The Ngwenya family are immediately seen as a threat in the taxi business, so the Zungus ask Shadrack and Fezile to investigate the connection between the Ngwenyas and their rivals the Ndlovus. Mpiyakhe confirms that the Ngwenya family are indeed plotting with Samson, Sihle’s scolded by former queen Qondi, and Judas’s son Qaphela threatens taxi drivers in the Free State. Tensions are rising in the Free State because of the taxi violence and the Zungus are forced to address the situation before it spirals further out of their control. The Zungus then plot how best to confront the Ngwenyas about the events in the Free State, while Pam is struggling to adjust to married life.