Tug of war
Mangaliso is stuck between his clingy girlfriend and his babymama when one of the ladies proposes.
Skeem Saam Weekdays SABC1 (*191) 18:30
Left paralysed in a drive-by shooting with her boyfriend Mangaliso (Bongani Masondo) in January this year, Elizabeth’s (Amanda Manku) had a rough few months. Besides coming to terms with the fact that she may never walk again, she’s also had to deal with news in March that Mangaliso’s going to be a dad with his convict ex- girlfriend Lelo (Amanda du-Pont). Desperate to hold onto him, Elizabeth makes a move that could either drive Mangaliso away or right into her arms. But even from prison, Lelo won’t let go of Mangaliso that easily…
Mangaliso’s caught offguard on Wednesday 25 May when Lizzy proposes. “Elizabeth knows that as soon as Lelo has her baby, she will have the upper hand,” explains Bongani, “so she wants the one thing that will guarantee his commitment.” He adds that “there’s tension in their relationship being caused by Lelo, even though she isn’t there. They’re fighting and it’s a rollercoaster.” But instead of giving Lizzy her answer, Mangaliso stalls. Reluctantly, Mangaliso visits Lelo in prison on Thursday 26 May to let her know he’s in a serious relationship. “He feels that he has to prove his commitment by letting Lelo know who won his heart,” Bongani says, adding that his character is surprised by Lelo’s reaction. “As much as he’s fearful of Lelo, he mans up. In Lelo’s head, he’s her man and they’re going to raise their baby. Rather than overreact, Lelo just tells Mangaliso that she’s going to make sure that he’s hers.”
Lelo calls Mangaliso on Monday 30 May and works on his softer side, saying that she’ll be out of prison soon and he needs to start thinking about their life, confusing him even further. By Tuesday 31 May, Elizabeth feels that she’s lost Mangaliso when it becomes apparent that Lelo has planted a seed of doubt in him, leaving him believing that she might be released soon. “It may be manipulation, but Mangaliso genuinely believes that pregnancy has changed Lelo,” Bongani says. But with Lelo, you never know. As for Lizzy, she isn’t going to let a baby get in the way of getting hitched to the man she took a bullet and landed in a wheelchair for. Mangaliso warned Kwaito against helping Lelo escape from prison, and Emkay’s jealousy got out of hand and he blackmailed Tbose into digging up dirt on Jama. Mangaliso’s reeling from Elizabeth’s actions and has to come clean to Lelo. Emkay is determined to tell Ayanda Jama’s secret, and Sonti receives some unexpected good news. Jama has a surprise for Ayanda, while Emkay makes an honest and heartfelt admission to Tbose and Enhle.
Mangaliso’s confession to Lelo leads to trouble and Elizabeth is crushed when Mangaliso seems unsure about their future. Emkay agrees to bury the hatchet with Jama, Sonti gets life-changing news, and Ayanda makes a heart-breaking discovery. A hunky man catches Rachel’s attention, Ayanda and Jama’s relationship hits an all-time low when Jama stumbles upon shocking info, while Ma’Kunutu’s good news is a bitter pill to swallow for Charles. Rachel hatches a plan to get close to her new crush, and Sonti’s newfound success ruffles feathers. Ayanda decides that she’s going to fight for her relationship with Jama, while Sonti makes a startling discovery that could change everything. Elsewhere, it seems that the negative consequences of Emkay’s behaviour could force him to change his ways.