The bother with boys
The men in Niki’s life drive her crazy – and it’s not just her lovers.
Rhythm City Weekdays e.tv (*194) 19:00
No-nonsense Niki (Nolo Phiri) went into panic mode when her brother Bash (Siphiwe Mtshali) was framed for murder by ex- girlfriend Nox (Thishiwe Ziqubu) in mid-February. “The thought of losing him cripples her and she’ll do anything to get him out of trouble,” says Nolo. “Anything” included sucking up to her dangerous ex-hubby Suffo (Mduduzi Mabaso) on Thursday 23 February to get the truth from Nox and help clear Bash’s name. But Niki being close to Suffo doesn’t sit well with her secret boyfriend Toolkit (Paul Maila), Suffo’s former pal.
THREE’S A CROWD
It seems Niki’s falling for Suffo all over again on Wednesday 8 March. She has always had a soft spot for him despite their nasty split in October 2016 after Suffo discovered that she’d slept with his brother Themba (Sphamandla Dhludhlu). Although she’s with Toolkit now, Niki has realised through this situation with Bash that she might want her ex back. So the favour she’s asked Suffo could be used “to win him back”, Nolo explains. “She’s even willing to forgive him for the ugly divorce from which she hasn’t really recovered yet.”
But her rekindled feelings aren’t the reason for Niki telling Toolkit on Friday 10 March that they should take a break. She knows that she can’t have any distractions while getting Suffo to save Bash from the police. “It’s not easy to break up with Toolkit, but she has to, for Bash’s safety,” Nolo explains.
HIDDEN HOSTILITY
Nolo says that her character is inclined towards the safer option for matters of the heart – Suffo – although there’s clearly still chemistry between her and Toolkit on Monday 13 March. The pair struggle to keep things professional at Zero11, the club that Niki manages and Toolkit always hangs out at.
Niki is torn between the two men. “But she’d better hurry up and choose already,” Nolo warns, “because Suffo sends his right-hand-man Speshil (Sayitsheni Mdaki) to spy on Niki and Toolkit [on Tuesday 14 March]. Niki convinces Speshil that there’s nothing going on between them, but he doesn’t like Niki and might just lie to his boss to destroy any chance she has of getting back with Suffo…”