Agonising agony aunt
Radio host Gabi’s drive to help lands her in the middle of an abusive marriage minefield
Gabisile (Baby Cele) has taken many wrong turns, but she has always had a genuine, burning passion to help her community. So it makes sense that despite all that backlash on social media about her romantic gangster partner Nkunzi (Masoja Msiza) this June, Gabi has fallen even more in love with her radio job. Being on air thrills her, and the positive feedback from listeners who call in fuels her. But when she lets herself be pulled into their drama in person, she puts everything she loves at risk.
GABI UP TOP
When the owner of K-Mash FM watches Gabisile at work, she sees money and she sees success. And she sees an asset she needs to lock down in Gabi. This
July after watching Gabi interacting with listeners on her show and doing it with so much ease, the station boss calls Gabisile into the boardroom and makes her an offer that will tie her down.
“Gabisile has always wanted to own shares at K-Mash FM. She really loves the station, her show and the listeners. This would also be a power move for her as an independent and career-driven woman,” says Baby, adding, “So when Gabi is offered 30% ownership of K-Mash FM, Gabi is over the moon with excitement and joy!”
TREAT YO SELF
Gabisile is so excited about this new chapter in her life that she immediately rushes out to splash out on a big treat. “She feels she’s worked very hard to get herself to the point she’s now in, and it only makes sense to spoil herself a little. So after work one afternoon, she stops at a BMW dealership and buys herself a car,” reveals the actress.
If she was hoping to impress professional car hijacking ringmaster Nkunzi, Gabisile is sorely mistaken. When Gabi arrives at home, Nkunzi approaches the gate curious about this mysterious car, and he’s in no way thrilled to see Gabi behind the wheel. Masoja explains, “Nkunzi isn’t happy about Gabisile mak-ing sucah a huge and expensive purchase without discussing it with him first. But he congratulates her and agrees to go for a spin in the new ride.”
FLYING HIGH… AND CRASHING
New car, new success, Gabi is feeling herself. But back in the studio, Gabi gets a call that could destroy it all. “The man who calls in tells Gabisile that he feels powerless as a man, and he feels he has failed his three children. His wife swears at him in front of the kids. She belittles his manhood in front of the neighbours. The night before (he calls in), she threw a heater at him and doused herself with paraffin and threatened to burn herself if he leaves,” reveals Baby.
“Gabisile then uses this man’s story to educate her listeners about domestic abuse, and that men also get abused by their wives and girlfriends. Abuse has no gender, and it’s important for men in abusive relationships to speak out and get help, just like this brave caller has done,” adds Baby.
In true Gabisile style though, she decides that more needs to be done to help the man and his children… but not by any of the domestic abuse organisations that specialise in the incredibly delicate process of intervening. No, by her, Gabi, personally. When her show ends, Gabisile asks her producer for the man’s home address (professionally a huge nono), and despite serious warning not to get too involved in her listeners’ issues, Gabisile is determined to meddle.
Worse still, she acts impulsively. “She drives home, but before she even makes it home, she turns around and drives to the man’s house where she arrives to a violent argument taking place. The man’s wife accuses Gabisile of being his mistress and tries to physically fight her, but the man stops her before she can harm Gabisile, which fuels her anger even more,” Baby reveals.
Gabisile manages to get away, but this is far from over. She has left an abused man in a situation that is arguably now even more volatile. And she will soon learn the consequences of her meddling. That car? That man? That job? She could lose it all.