MaNgcobo (Dawn Thandeka King) has patiently been waiting for the perfect time to reclaim her throne as queen bee of KwaMashu. And where better than her wedding to shady businessman Nkunzi (Masoja Msiza)? “It’s MaNgcobo’s moment to shine. She wants her rivals to see that she is back in business [after murders, theft and scandal sent her to the psych ward at the start of the year]. And this time, she’s here to stay,” states Dawn defiantly.
While MaNgcobo plans “the wedding of the year” on Wednesday 7 June, Nkunzi’s unwilling partner-incrime Mxolisi (Nay Maps Maphalala) is scheming to have the groom arrested for the ATM bombing heists over the past few months, but “Mxolisi doesn’t realise how badly this is going to affect MaNgcobo [who raised him from childhood]. He just wants to see Nkunzi locked up for good,” explains Dawn.
MaNgcobo’s on a high and adding the final touches to her wedding prep on Thursday 15 June. She asks Pastor Mdletshe (Glen Gabela) to bless her wedding as “he’s the local church leader and she wants to involve everyone in the community, including the people who judged her,” says Dawn. MaNgcobo has spared no expense in her rise to power once again and her dress is going to leave the guests with the jaws on the floor. “It’s an original garment that’s never been seen before. This is MaNgcobo at her best,” laughs Dawn. And when it comes to splashing cash, no one’s better. “With bigspender Nkunzi footing the wedding bill, the bride has plenty of ideas for the ceremony,” says Dawn, adding that giving his bride free reign is Nkunzi’s way to “keep her distracted and as far away from the bombings as possible. We have to keep in mind that he’s a clever guy and he knows how to keep MaNgcobo out of his way… well, out of harm’s way”.
What the couple don’t realise is that while they’re busy with their wedding and heist planning, Mxolisi has been hard at work with his arrest betrayal. On Tuesday 13 June, he worries that he’s going to be caught out by his bestie Mastermind (Ntokozo Dlamini), who’s also been working on the bombings since Thursday 4 May. “Mxolisi is tired [of his criminal lifestyle],” explains Dawn. “He wants to follow the right path.” That’s why he’s working with good-guy cop Mondli (Thembinkosi Thwala) and his biological dad Pastor Mdletshe. “They are good men who want to see their community safe and not threatened by criminals,” adds the actress. But it comes at a price…
MaNgcobo has no idea that the man she raised since he was a boy is going to betray her. “She’s so excited to get her diva moment. It feels like she’s turning a new leaf in life and Nkunzi has all this money to give her everything that she’s always wanted,” says Dawn. MaNgcobo’s put all her energy into this day and showing everyone up since Nkunzi proposed on Thursday 29 May. “She’s determined to make this wedding happen,” says Dawn, whose character wound up with a gun to her head during a hostage situation at her most recent wedding attempt with gangster Zakhele (Mfana Jones Hlope) only a year ago on Wednesday 1 June 2016. “This has to go right, right?” laughs Dawn. “She wants everyone to talk about this wedding for a long time. It must be one to remember!”
Pastor Mdletshe and Mxolisi regret setting up Nkunzi’s arrest when they see how happy the bride is on Monday 19 June and they watch in horror as the cops march into the church on Tuesday 20 June. They haul Nkunzi off in front off the guests and Dawn says that her character is devastated. “It’s painful. She realises then and there that the lavish life she’d been waiting for has been taken out in handcuffs.” But if being the laughing stock wasn’t bad enough, wait until MaNgcobo finds out who ripped her life to shreds. Hell hath not even a smidge of wrath like a scorned, groom-less MaNgcobo.
