BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
If you’re a fan of The Wife on Showmax, or if you’ve seen even one episode of the South African telenovela drama locally inspired by author, Dudu Busani-Dube’s beloved novels, you’ll agree that actress, Zikhona Sodlaka delivered a stellar performance from the beginning until her very last (and very emotional) scene.
The Wife is centered around the Zulu brothers and their love interests – Mandisa was the wife of the second eldest brother, Nqoba Zulu played by Abdul Khoza.
Her very colorful wigs, tight clothing with very loud prints, and heavy makeup are quite different from Zikhona’s more natural look and bald hairstyle. But when Zikhona stepped into Mandisa’s shoes, she delivered a convincing performance.
Since The Wife made its debut, Zikhona has been celebrated by viewers and has even earned herself nominations for Best Female Actor at the 2022 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards and Best Supporting Actor at the 2022 South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas).
Mandisa was the type of character you hate to love because if she wasn’t being funny (and boy was she hilarious!), she would do very questionable things like burning millions of rands that were meant to help a family member.
Love her or hate though, you must admit Zikhona made the viewer understand Mandisa’s frustration with the Zulu brothers. Being in a relationship with a man whose family is involved in criminal activities that she sometimes had to cover up, give them an heir (we all know how precious boy children are to the Zulu brothers), and still be disrespected and not deemed worthy enough to be married into their family got the better of her.
The last on-screen moment of Mandisa is when, after losing everything; her husband, child, home, and business because of the Zulu brothers’ shady ways, she sits hopelessly on the ground, gripping the lifeless body of her son, and warns one of the other wives, Hlomu played by Mbalenhle Mavimbela, that she too might experience this pain one day, and then pulls the trigger that takes her life.
South Africa is filled with talented creatives, and Zikhona Sodlaka is certainly one of them! She’s definitely a The Fuse favorite! We can’t wait to see what she does next!
Image credit: Zikhona Sodlaka instagram
