A few months after it was canceled, 1 Magic’s melodrama ‘The River’ has added eight star performers as it prepares for the season finale.
For its season finale, The River has added numerous star actors, including acclaimed actress Teboho Khalo.
Teboho Khalo is an award-winning actress best known for her role as Puleng in the e.tv drama series Rhythm City.
Fans of The River have invested five years in the series to date, and it’s encouraging to see that DStv hasn’t thrown the show out like a piece of mouldy bread.
Despite its cancellation and emigration of trademark characters, the production is still infusing new life in it, which will hopefully prevent the show from “fading, fading, gone.”
Too many new characters would be an issue because the series must stay faithful to its roots, but some old characters are also returning.
Will these developments keep you watching until the end?
Here’s a companion pack with bios of the new characters, starting with the source of all the trouble – Lindiwe’s mother:
Thandeka Dlamini played by Thembi Mtshali-Jones
Lindiwe discovers her whereabouts, and we meet her for the first time.
Thandeka was the town’s belle at the time. A lovely lady with sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue. Lindiwe exemplifies her mother’s daughter in this sense.
Thandeka, a social butterfly adored by many and a vixen desired by many, wasn’t much of a bright light to her children.
She wasn’t just a touch too rigid with her parenting; she was harsh and rarely there. The harsh reality of Thandeka’s village, along with her own horrific background and her inability to parent, created a mixture of turmoil and hate for Lindiwe, Nolwazi, and Zolani’s father.
Thandeka struck first and asked questions later. A staunch believer in “Spare the rod, spoil the child” motto even when there wasn’t a need.
Even though Thandeka’s cruelty and lovelessness sent Lindiwe running from her family and
shaped her into the monster she is, she got the homemaker gene from Thandeka.
The cooking, the hosting of elaborate parties and playing host with the most; it’s all a leaf out of Thandeka’s book because Thandeka had a party in her house almost every day of the week, even if it meant putting her kids out in the dead of winter, or in the middle of exams.
Paballo Motaung played by Khutjo Green
Paballo is an old friend of Kedibone’s from prison. She comes into our world after being newly released and on the hunt for Kedibone to reconnect.
Paballo is the type of lady that warms a room and makes hearts long to be loved by her because of the brightness she emits and the fun she exudes.
She’s engaging, humorous, and stunning, and while knowing she’s lovely, she doesn’t put on airs. So, aside from Kedibone and Paballo’s unmistakable bond, this is what drew Kedibone to her.
Despite the fact that fate dealt her a bad hand by putting her in prison, Paballo has been able to pick herself up and rebuild herself.
Paballo and Kedibone formed a friendship in prison and helped each other go through the worst moment of their life. Their romance grew out of their brotherhood.
Zanemvula Shange played by Ayanda Borotho
Nomafu’s older sister is Zanemvula. She enters our world to see Nomafu and her family while on a trip to South Africa for an interview for a dream job, with the intention of returning to Ghana.
Zanemvula has traveled over the world, studied extensively, and now holds a doctorate. She’s come a long way to become who and what she is.
Nomafu’s polar opposite is Zanemvula. She is an educated woman with numerous talents who strongly believes in living an ethical life, which is why Nomafu’s life choices are such a source of dispute between the sisters.
Whereas Nomafu prefers to lie, steal, and cheat, Zanemvula prefers to toil, break her back, and achieve on her own merit. Nomafu is irritated because Zanemvula is a major source of inspiration for Khwezi.
The relationship between Zanemvula and Nomafu is laced with hate and bitterness, disguised as sibling rivalry.
Gogo Stella Played by Nandi Nyembe
Nomafu and Zanemvula’s mother is Gogo Stella. When Nomafu’s faking Zanemvula’s death causes the sibling rivalry to grow ugly, Gogo Stella unceremoniously crashes into our reality to save Nomafu from Zanemvula.
Gogo Stella governed her children with an iron fist and preferred to be feared and respected rather than pampered by them.
This is the mother Zanemvula received, however it is not the case for Nomafu. The way Gogo Stella treats her girls is so disconcerting that one would think they were reared by two distinct mothers.
Nomafu was cherished, protected, and given whatever she desired as long as it was within her mother’s reach, whereas Zane was treated as a second-class person, subjected to shame, demeaning, and relentless criticism.
To this day, Nomafu can do no wrong, while Zanemvula can do nothing right in Gogo Stella’s eyes. And this is the case when Gogo Stella runs to Nomafu’s rescue.
Gogo Stella does not even acknowledge that what Nomafu did is wrong, she lays all the blame at Zane’s feet, livid with her for bringing shame to Nomafu in her marital home.
Also new are Kamo Modisakeng as sheltered Bonolo, already been introduced on screen
Tebogo Khalo who plays Makhosi, described as resourceful and manipulative.
Thapelo Sebogodi and Nkanyiso Bhengu are reprising their roles as Khabzela and Pastor Mdluli.
