The parent trap
Gontse is back and she’s determined to get her child back – no matter the cost.
After being away from her family for three years, Gontse (Khanyisile Zwane) is back from Dubai and she’s excited to see her son Sihle (Xolani Xaba). Remember, Gontse was working overseas after she basically lost everything back home. In debt after being scammed in a pyramid scheme, she had to close her event business and was without an income. And even though her marriage was on shaky ground, she took the job in Dubai to still provide for Sihle, who she had to leave here in South Africa.
“Gontse has been working as an events and project manager, she has also been studying towards a BA Honours in Hospitality Management while in Dubai. Gontse couldn’t take her child with when she left because she didn’t have a support system that she could depend on at the time, and she still had to find a way to recover from her debt,” explains Khanyisile.
One person who is excited about Gontse’s return, short as it may be because she’s on leave and must go back to work, is her mother Gloria (Marjorie Lange). “Gloria is extremely happy and definitely surprised to see her daughter back because it was so unexpected and unannounced, still ecstatic nonetheless,” Marjorie says. But not everyone shares her excitement…
I DON’T KNOW YOU, MOM!
Three years is a long time to be away from your young child, and Sihle, even though he talks to his mother on the phone regularly, doesn’t really know his mom and he isn’t comfortable around her yet. This hurts Gontse to a point of making decisions that will come back and bite her… “Gontse expresses what it felt like to leave her child behind, and that it was tough for her to adjust to her new life in a country she didn’t know,” says Khanyisile. “She wishes to have done things differently, so she blames both her mother and ex-husband Ndumiso (Andile Sithole) about pressurising her to leave Sihle behind. Gontse feels that she was not in the right mental state to have decided otherwise, considering her unknown prospects at the time.”
Gontse’s initial plan is mainly to visit her family since she has been granted leave, and after spending years away from her son, she is hoping to use this time to bond with him, explains the actress. “But things begin to shift for her when Sihle denies acknowledging her as his mother. This leads her to realise that she needs to be physically involved in her child’s life and the only way she can recover her relationship with him is by taking Sihle back with her.” But that’s easier said than done!
AT WHATEVER COST!
Ndumiso and Gontse have been coparenting all along even though their dynamic is different due to Gontse now living abroad. But she always ensures that she financially supports her child as well as keeping frequent contact. Things are now different though and Gontse wants a tighter bond with her child. “She realises that she’s got to take Sihle ‘home’ with her to Dubai,” explains Khanyisile, adding that the
A HEARTBROKEN FATHER
peaceful co-parenting relationship is going to turn to war in an ugly custody battle for Sihle.
“Gontse pulls a bold move by using Ndu’s tavern business Chillax against him. She mentions that it is an unfit and unhealthy environment for her child to be raised in and she asks her mother to take photos of Sihle at the premises to paint Ndu as a negligent father,” reveals Khanyisile.
While Gloria refuses to be part of her daughter’s devious plans at first, Gontse puts Gloria in a tight corner. “Gontse finds out about Gloria and her stepfather Caiphus’s (Michael Mabizela) secret of how he ended up in jail, and she uses it to blackmail Gloria into agreeing to her secret plan of taking Sihle away,” says Khanyisile. “Gontse tricked her mother into confessing about Caiphus taking the fall for Quinton’s (Brighton Ngoma) death late last year.” Remember, Quinton died in an accident but Caiphus took the fall after making a deal with the devious Kubeka family.
Because Gloria is afraid she’ll also end up in jail if her daughter spills the beans, Marjorie reveals that “Gloria sneakily takes Sihle to Chillax and takes staged photos of her grandson with drunk people and of Sihle holding beer bottles as proof that Ndumiso is negligent and shouldn’t have the boy.” She adds, “Gloria is unhappy about it because she’s caught in the middle of these two people – Gontse and Ndu – who are most dear to her. It breaks her heart that both are hurting, but mostly that this feud will ultimately hurt Sihle one way or another. Her family is falling apart and she’s involved in it.”
And it goes from bad to worse, says Khanyisile. “Them playing dirty affects their son. The Family Advocate decides to take Sihle to a child psychologist for assessment, to check whether he needs to be under State care or not. This terrifies them as they can’t bear the thought of seeing their child being taken away from them, which then brings Ndu and Gontse to the realisation that they have been dealing with the situation the wrong way.”
Still keeping Ndumiso in the dark, Gontse tells him that she’s taking Sihle to Dubai to visit her for a few weeks. “Ndumiso is told that it’s for just three weeks,” says Khanyisile. “But Gloria can’t live with her daughter’s deception and on the day that Gontse is about to leave with Sihle, Gloria warns Ndu that he may never see his son again.”
Ndumiso will try everything to stop them from leaving, but it may not be enough, says Andile. “Ndumiso finds comfort in knowing that he’s been an exceptional father to Sihle and hopes that their bond will always be there. He realises every child needs to have a relationship with their mother, and Gontse has lost a lot of time with their son, so this might be a good thing after all,” Andile says. That is if he’ll let Gontse get on that plane…
PREVIOUSLY
A mother put herself in trouble to put out family fires, Gontse was forced to confront the very fears she’d been avoiding, and the Kubekas tried to cover-up two secrets that could ruin their good name.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Kubekas unknowingly enter into dangerous territory, Hlengiwe is given more reason to doubt Nyasha, and travel papers are finalised and a deceitful journey is planned. An ultimatum worries a businessman, Bongi is left concerned after an outburst, and a desperate Ndu gets a lifeline just as he thinks that his hopes are shattered. Hlengiwe is crushed when a suspicion is confirmed, and fabricated evidence has a family in a vice.
Gontse vows to make good on her threat and Gloria shows some serious resistance when the cops come knocking. Nomvula rises to the occasion, a woman starts to take action after a confusing find, and Gloria pulls a desperate act to save herself. Amo is shocked to realise he might be in a precarious position, Gontse is torn by revealing the secret that could destroy her mother, and the Kubekas’ good intentions end up complicating Mbali’s life and there’s not much they can do to repair the damage.
CAST: Amo Kagiso Rathebe •Aya Ayanda Brandy Nzimande •Bohang Thabo Malema •Bongi Nokulunga Nomfundo Khumalo •Caiphus Michael Mabizela •Cee-Jay Thulani Hlatshwayo •Chevonne Schelaine Bennett •Chumani Langa Ayanda Daweti •Connie Pauline Manamela •Damon Bradbury Craig Urbani •Dintle Setuke Mapaseka Koetle •Dr Jameson Karin van der Laag •Dudu Kubeka Sihle Ndaba •Duma Wanda Molebatsi •Freddie Charles Baloyi •Gloria Legae Marjorie Langa •Gontse Khanyisile Zwane •Grace Medupe Bathabile Mashigo •Hlengiwe Twala Nqobile Khumalo •Ingrid Thompson Stephanie Sandows •Javas Thapelo Aphiri •Joey Esmeralda Bihl •Jojo Kubeka Melusi Mbele •Judith Tumi Maretele •Kabza Buhle Nhlapo •Kgosi Legae Given Stuurman •Khanyi Jewel Nyathi Kai-Ann Munyaka •Khutso Tlotliso Mabaleka •Layla McKenzie Natasha Sutherland •Lebo Tshiamo Molobi •Leonard David Dennis •Lera Zethu Dlomo •Lerumo Chabedi Tshepo Mosese •Lindiwe Ngema Nomvelo Makhanya •Loyiso Lloyd Rathebe •MaBetty Francina Maili Morake •Mary Mikateko Hlabangwane •Mbali (Lady M) Kubeka Nolwazi Ngubeni •Mdala James Sithole •Mlungisi Ngema Patrick Mofokeng •Mthunzi Mayiza Bongile Mantsai •Nare Sekoati Tsubane •Ndumiso Ngcobo Andile Sithole •Neo Mokheti Jerry Mofokeng Wa Makhetha •Nhlamulo Matthews Rantsoma •Nomvula Kubeka Slindile Nodangala •Nonzi Thandeka Nodada •Omphile Ngema Botlhale Boikanyo •Phindile Pretty Ncayiyana •Poloko Upile uThixo Bongco •Pretty Millicent Makhado •Quinton Manqoba Nyathi Brighton Ngoma •Rachel Wendy Gumede •Rorisang Rebecca Mfoti •Sdi Tshepo Seagiso •Seipati Nolo Seabi •Sheila Nkosi Matshepo Maleme •Sihle Ngcobo Xolani Xaba •Simo Sandile Mahlangu •Stevovo Vusi Msani •Stokkies (Vernon) Jacobs Wayne van Rooyen •Tebello Litlhonolofatso Litlhakanyane •Thando Mxolisi Nodom •Thlogi Komie Mohale •Timothy Charlie Bouguenon •Tshepo Bohang Moeko •Vincent Itumeleng Morobela •Vukile Kubeka Fana Mokoena •Vuvu Mamarumo Marokane •Winnie Fundiswa Ngcobo •Xolile (Xoli) Langa Sivenathi Mabuya •Yanga Xaba Dineo Rasedile •Zenzele Kubeka Robert Mpisi•Zinzile Ngema Gcina Nkosi •Zorro Thato Mdakane