Clash of the queens!
Lindiwe Dlamini-Dikana meets her match – meet Nomafu Hlophe and her family, who want the Dikana throne.
In the five years that telenovela The River has been on air, ruthless mine owner Lindiwe Dlamini-Dikana (Sindi Dlathu) has remained undefeated. She constantly gets away with murder – without so much as an arrest! And if you dare cross her, you’ll wind up six feet under. For that reason alone, people around her are terrified to stand up to her, but all that comes to an end this fortnight when she meets the equally vicious Hlophes, who buy a stake in Lindiwe’s Khanyisa Diamonds mine.
Lindiwe gets off on the wrong foot with matriarch Nomafu Hlophe (Brenda Mhlongo, ex-KaMadonsela in soapie Imbewu, see more p28). “Nomafu refuses to take Lindiwe’s orders, or anyone else’s for that matter. She is just as fierce and headstrong as Lindiwe,” explains Brenda, whose character is hellbent on outshining Lindiwe.
As season 5 of The River unfolds, Nomafu plots Lindiwe’s downfall at Khanyisa Diamonds. Just a warning to Nomafu though: If she thinks that she’ll get away with stealing Lindiwe’s mine, she has another thing coming, because Lindiwe will fight back. May the best queen reign supreme!
GOLDDIGGER vs DIAMOND QUEEN
Like Lindiwe, Nomafu is a woman with few redeeming qualities. They are both selfish, power-hungry, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top – even kill.
The difference between Lindiwe and Nomafu however, is that while Lindiwe worked hard to grasp her success, Nomafu raked in her pile of gold as a trophy wife. She is married to gangster Bukhosi (Bheki Mkhwane, ex-Sampson in soapie Isibaya), who sells blood diamonds and robs banks with his sons Mlilo (newcomer Vuyo Biyela) and Nkanyiso (newcomer Unathi Mkhize) from his first marriage. Bukhosi seeks to create a legacy for his family and what better way than to buy into the country’s most prominent mine, Lindiwe’s Khanyisa Diamonds?
“Nomafu has always wanted to become rich and famous. She told herself that she was going to [tolerate] Bukhosi because he provides a lavish life for her,” explains Brenda, whose character has no intention of forming a relationship with her stepsons. “Nomafu doesn’t care about Mlilo and Nkanyiso and they can see through her – that she only joined their family for money. They dislike her for using their father to climb the social ladder,” adds Brenda.
MOB WIFE VIBES
Brenda explains that Nomafu is a classic mob wife. “She embodies the saying: ‘You can take a person out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of the person.’ She is loud and over-thetop. When Nomafu walks into a room, she wants all the attention to herself,” explains Brenda. Between her one-liners and unusual fashion taste, fans will come to love Nomafu just as Brenda has. “I’ve always played older women and Nomafu is closer to my age. When I first read the script, I doubted that I could pull off this role, but I’m glad that I took the leap. Nomafu pushes me out of my comfort zone,” adds the actress.
THE HLOPHES’ DIAMOND
Besides their mansions, sports-cars and fortune, Nomafu and Bukhosi’s greatest treasure is their geologist daughter Khwezi (played by Tina Dlathu – Sindi’s reallife sister), who will join the family business later in June.
As the youngest of the Hlophe siblings, Khwezi is sheltered from her family’s illegal dealings. She believes that her parents make money from good investments, but she couldn’t be further from the truth… “Khwezi is oblivious to her family’s ways because she sees the good in everyone. More than anything, she is the apple of her parents’ eye.
They adore her as she possesses an innocence that they lack,” explains Tina.
When Khwezi moves into her family’s new home, viewers will notice that her eldest brother Mlilo ridicules her. “Hate is a strong word, but I’m certain that Mlilo absolutely hates Khwezi. He thinks that she gets to freely enjoy the fruits of the family’s criminality without lifting a finger,” adds the actress. But Khwezi’s feud with Mlilo will be the last thing on her mind as she will get involved with a married man, driving a bigger wedge between the Hlophes and the Dlamini-Dikana clan.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
How did we get this doubleDlathu excellence? Tina reveals that she received a phonecall from The River’s producers to audition for Khwezi, in what will be her first-ever TV performance. After some thought, and getting over her fears, she read for the role and she was eventually hired after more auditions. “The interesting aspect is that my sister Sindi (who is an executive producer on the show) didn’t know that I would be auditioning!” says Tina, before adding, “Sindi only found out that I was going to play Khwezi afterwards, which was much to her surprise – or should I say horror?” adds Tina.
KEEPING UP WITH THE HLOPHES
The River production team believes the Hlophes will keep viewers on their toes. “So far, season 5 is all about high drama and high stakes. We felt that the season needed a new flavour and the organic move was to bring in this family,” explains junior creative producer Caroline Kganyago-Ralefeta.
The production crew was determined to find the right isiZulu-speaking actors to portray the family. “We went to KwaZulu-Natal for auditions, and we returned with strong actors,” says Caroline, adding, “Consider the Hlophes the villains in our world. They’re there to disrupt [the DlaminiDikanas] and do whatever it takes to accomplish their personal goals.” From the moment the Hlophes meet the Dlamini-Dikanas, there’s bound to be trouble, teases Caroline. “They are not the poster of your ordinary family. They are a hybrid of what an Italian Mafia and Mexican family would be.”