Revenge of the dead
Mulalo pays the ultimate price for defying the ancestors.
There’s a golden rule in the royal house of Thathe: don’t ever go against the ancestors. If you do, they mete out a severe punishment, as Mulalo (Sydney Ramakuela) finds out this fortnight. “Mulalo has been sitting on the throne since mid January when his brother Azwindini (Gabriel Temudzani) abdicated after the money scandal with the Venda King. The elders immediately instated Mulalo,” says Sydney. But it’s not a case of just sitting on the throne. There are protocols to follow and one, as dictated by the ancestors, is a river ritual that the new chief has to do to solidify his chieftaincy. There is just one problem…
NIGHTMARISH WARNING
Mulalo is scared of water and it’s giving him nightmares about the impending ritual. “Mulalo keeps seeing someone die in the river, he believes it will be him should he go through with the ritual. So he keeps putting it off, but the royals pressure him, warning the chief that it’s a bad omen,” says Sydney.
When Mulalo’s youngest son Luruli (Zwikhodo Mashimy) mysteriously falls ill and the doctors can’t find anything wrong, Mulalo is convinced that the ancestors are warning him to perform the ritual or else. “He visits the royal sangoma Mulimisi (Humbulani Tsharani) and is given a message: put his fears aside and go into the river.” But the sangoma is not unsympathetic to his fears. “When Mulalo tells Mulimisi about his fear of water, they come up with a plan to trick the ancestors into believing that Mulalo is going to do the ritual,” adds Sydney
ANCESTRAL REVENGE
Luruli is discharged from hospital and recovering at home when Mulalo convinces the child to join him on what he promises to be a fun father-son day at the river. “He tells Luruli that they are going to the river to relax, but when they arrive, Mulimisi is waiting. The men tell Luruli to go into the river and cleanse himself,” says Sydney,
Mulalo hopes that sending his son into the river will placate the ancestors and allow him to excuse himself from entering the water himself. But something terrible happens. “Trusting his dad, Luruli goes in, but never comes back up,” explains Sydney. “The men search for the boy but he’s gone. The next day, the police are with Mulalo when they find his son’s body.”
A distraught Mulalo is arrested. “He is an emotional wreck and pleads with the ancestors to bring Luruli back,” says Sydney, adding that it is going to be upsetting watching Mulalo deal with his loss. “But the ancestors still want their river tribute honoured…”