Keeping family close
Disaster weddings, unexpected departures and a death that destroyed lives on Generations. What a crazy year!
The Mabaso family’s year was filled with one disaster after another and it was never pretty. From the January scandal of Nandi (Brenda Mhlongo) giving cancer-stricken Uncle Molefe (Mothusi Chebeletsane) pills that helped him pass, to a gun-toting madman at the hospital months later who wanted revenge, she couldn’t steer clear of trouble. But that’s just one character – what about the others? Murder, organised crime, affairs, crooked business deals – you name it, Generations had it during the year.
HOSTAGE DRAMA
Angry villager Peter (Tseko Monaheng) took caregiver Nandi and her daughter Sphe (Pearl Monama) hostage to settle scores with Nandi’s husband Jack ( Vusi Kunene) after Jack had Peter forcibly removed for his development project in April. Nandi pushed Sphe to safety just as the police arrived but she was left in a coma after being shot. The time in hospital was a perfect break for introspection and she divorced Jack.
LET’S GET HITCHED
Tau (Rapulana Seiphemo) arrived for his July wedding to entrepreneur Zitha (Zoe Mthiyane) but he pulled out at the last minute. He’d had enough of her betraying him by working with his enemy Jack and walked up to Zitha at the altar, only to turn and leave before being pronounced husband and wife. That wasn’t the only marriage to end in tears – career criminal Cosmo (Ronnie Nyakale) agreed to marry his friend Mei (Michelle Aldana) who he’d met on a business trip in China, but their business-arrangement marriage ended in October when she realised that he really loved her and that wasn’t part of their agreement.
FORGIVE & FORGET
Protecting their legacy is the name of the game for the Moroka brothers Mazwi and Smanga (Musa Ngema and Moopi Mothibeli). They’d lie, cheat and steal to keep their empire from sinking but there was one thing that could turn them from friends and allies to enemies – the little fact that Smanga fathered Mazwi’s baby Rorisang (Dithoriso Mosaka) with his wife Sphe. Mazwi discovered the betrayal between the sheets in August and he turned his back on his family, his wife and business, vowing never to return. Until November, when he returned and tried to reconcile with Sphe despite her indiscretions.
SINS OF THE FATHER
Lawyer Fana (Duma Mnqobi) walked into to a gang shooting while visiting his father Jack in October. The wrong place and the wrong time ended his life, but there was more drama to come from his death. The Mabasos blamed Jack and banned him from Fana’s funeral, which of course was an invitation for Jack to cause a scene and gatecrash. That was the last straw and Fana’s mom Nandi turned her back on Jack, her family and Johannesburg for good by moving to Cape Town.
WHAT WE WANT IN 2019
Sphe deserves a break after losing her brother Fana and mother Nandi. We’d like to see her focus her energy on saving her marriage (or getting someone to love her – hello, Smanga) and Tau deserves to find love again but without the Morokas in his way.