Jerry watches as Vuyiswa raped [The Queen]

Vuyiswa is a fictional character, but often, if not always, life imitates art. South Africa’s gender based violence statistics are shocking, every three hours a woman is murdered. To put it into perspective, by the time your hairdresser has finished braiding your hair, in the time it takes your mechanic to change your oil, a woman will have been killed somewhere in South Africa.

Schumacher gets even

After Thato tried to use Schumacher’s sexuality against him in their two man contest to win Mpho Sebata, the newly crowned Miss Corner House chose Schumie who, apparently “tore up” her uterus!

A strange metaphor, Mpho, especially when dealing with gender based violence.

Even though Thato apologized four outing his friend to Mpho, Schumacher went on a revenge mission. To really rub Thato’s nose in, he took Mpho to the Corner House just so he could flaunt their love in Thato’s face. Thato was so fed up with the sight of them, being all pet names and hand-holding that he ended up not going to work.

I read somewhere that a butterfly can flutter its wings over a flower in China and cause a hurricane in the Caribbean; butterfly effect. The smallest things occurring in one place can cause a catastrophe elsewhere.

To take a break from the whole Schumacher-Mpho romance, Jackal suggested a weekend away with Thato, leaving Vuyiswa home alone. It seems completely unrelated but think about it, if it wasn’t for Thato’s jealousy, Vuyiswa wouldn’t have become another tragic statistic for gender based violence.

Brutus gets a telling off

After Brutus blurted out his previously hidden feelings for Noma, the two of them ended up in bed together. Noma was expecting that Brutus would want to cuddle in bed. For Brutus, sunrise came with a renewed aversion for Noma. He threw her out of his room leaving the wounded Noma to mask her heartbreak with small penis jokes aimed at Brutus.

A new friend for Patronella

Even though Noma made light of Brutus’ bedroom performance, she later confessed to her new friend, Patronella that Brutus had given her the night of her life. When Georgina found out that Patronella had befriended Noma, she feared that Vuyiswa would not approve of their friendship. Noma is not only a guest at the Khoza mansion but she works for Harriet. Even if someone flushed all her beloved red wine down the toilet and killed her cat – if Vuyi had a cat – she could never hate that wine-flushing, cat-killing person more than she detests Harriet Khoza!

Vuyiswa wins award

Tembisa police station was abuzz with news of Vuyiswa’s award for the highest cases solved. Sadly her late husband, Jerry Maake did not get to share in her joy. After her colleagues had congratulated her,  Vuyiswa revealed her celebration plans to Georgina: she intended to have a drink with Jerry’s framed photograph. Ncaaaw! Even in his absence, Jerry and Vuyiswa are still couple goals. But we did not get to see the romantic, candlelit dinner between the living and the dead.

Instead, Georgina suggested that she and Vuyiswa head out for a night of drinks and dancing. Vuyiswa’s natural policewoman instinct was to carry her pistol with her, in case she has to fight crime. But the free spirited Georgina said it was a night of enjoyment rather than work. Vuyiswa succumbed to peer pressure, she locked her gun in the safe. Off they went to the Corner House.

Hector’s cover blown

As Hector Sebata’s junior officers partied like Uncle Cyril had increased the R350 covid grant, Tembisa’s commanding officer went to check on the cocaine cutting process at Khoza Trucking. He should have let Harriet and her team handle everything.

At the truck depot, Sebata bumped into Schumacher who, until now, thought his girlfriend’s dad was an upstanding policeman. In the age of information, the truth does not take long to leak into the air. Just one wrong tweet and the whole world knows your deepest, darkest secret. Sebata was worried that Schumacher now knew his secret but Harriet assured him that Schumie could be trusted. Hmmm… does Harriet know just how much of a storyteller Schumacher is?

No more bhusha?

Noma was seated alone at the bar in the Khoza mansion – because that’s what rich people do. They have bars in their houses while ordinary folks have burglar bars. When Brutus joined her at the bar, she expected the usual verbal abuse. She launched into a pre-emptive verbal assault of her own. Until Brutus interrupted her speech.

“I want you,” he said.

Brutus peppered his proposition with an impressive recital of the Matshikiza clan names, which caught Noma off guard. Either she was impressed or she didn’t even know her own clan names. From the smile on her face, it was clear she had said yes. But does this mean the “bhusha” is about to lose its top client as Brutus settles down with just one woman? If Brutus quits the bhusha, then I will wean myself from oxygen!

Vuyiswa’s night of horror

At the Corner House, Vuyiswa, Mbele and Georgina danced and drank. Who knew Georgina was so nimble on her feet! Wait, we already knew from Isibaya that Georgina Zulu – real name Sibusisiwe Jili – loved partying!

A few drinks later, Vuyiswa went to the bar to refill her wine glass. As the barman rung up her bill, Vuyiswa realized she had forgotten her purse at the table. She rushed to get her purse, leaving her wine glass unattended. Big mistake! Who in their right mind leaves her drink unguarded in Jozi? As Vuyiswa clip-clopped to her table, a mysterious hand poured a few drops of chemicals into her wine. When you are aware of South Africa’s gender based violence statistics, you immediately prepare yourself for the worst. But despite all the stats, I wasn’t fully prepared for what came.

By the time she reached the bottom of her glass, Vuyiswa could hardly stand up on her feet, let alone get home without walking into a lamppost. Her colleagues, Mbele and Georgina, were also seeing double and their judgement must have been impaired. On any other night, they would have known that Vuyiswa was in no state to go home alone.

Back at home, Vuyiswa staggered about, completely oblivious of the fact that she left the front door ajar. Cue scary music. A large boot blocked the door as Vuyiswa belatedly tried to shut it. Even though the drugged alcohol had impaired her judgement, Vuyiswa knew she was in danger. She staggered to her wardrobe, hoping to get to her gun safe. But he was much quicker and stronger. She was alone – Thato was nursing his wounded ego some place far away, butterfly effect.

The masked man threw her to the bed before unzipping his pants. As the bed shook violently and Vuyiswa’s tears stained the mattress, Jerry Maake looked on, helpless and trapped inside the picture frame.

Ferguson Films, have done well to bring into the spotlight the burning issue of gender based violence. As we enter the annual sixteen days of activism against gender based violence, Vuyiswa’s story of rape provides an opportunity for South Africa, if not the continent to examine itself. What future do we have if men keep raping and killing the very women who gave them life?

Although this figure has been challenged, South African advocacy organisation, Rape Crisis, states that 40% of women in the country will be raped at some point in their lifetime. Every three hours – the time it takes for a Church service – a woman is murdered in South Africa. Even though Vuyiswa (real name Zandile Msutwana) is a fictional character, what chance does an ordinary woman have in South Africa, if a policewoman, with all her combat training, can be raped.

 

Till next week, my pen is capped

Jerà

The Queen airs weekdays at 9:00pm on Mzansi Magic. It is also available on Showmax.

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