When we first met the Gomora cast – Langa, Buhle, Thathi, Ntokozo, Gladys, Melusi – Gladys Dlamini was introduced as the angel, the saviour of the lost. But the wheel turns – ivili liyajika – as the saying goes on Gomora. And Gladys the angel is now far from godly.
Zodwa caught in love triangle
After Teddy moved out, rather, moved outdoors to sleep in Don’s old car, Zodwa was left with no option but to allow her ex to move in with her so as to keep her son home. Once Don moved in, he began to plot a reunion with Zodwa. Bongani, the shisanyama manager, sensed Don was moving in on his territory. Things came to an explosive climax when Don proposed to Zodwa that they both speak to Bongani and reassure him that the Teddy-Don-Zodwa living arrangement was above board.
But at the shisanyama, Don, who had spotted Bongani, kissed Zodwa on the cheek just to wind him up. When Bongani saw this, he punched Don. And Don is Israel Matseke-Zulu, the inventor of voetsek, so he hit back. The shisanyama employees pulled the two brawling men apart. Zodwa threw her hands up in the air and left.
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Zodwa’s good deed
As if the fist fight was not enough, Don came home with a young girl in tow. He introduced her as Sbongile, his daughter, Teddy’s sister, and she would be living with Zodwa from now on. Don put it as glibly as that; “she will be living with us!”
That was one of those moments when someone does something so offensive but you simply freeze because, wow, what the effe. Zodwa put up with Don and Sbongile, whose real name is Nandipa Khubone, in case you’re wondering. But the next day she ordered Don and his daughter out.
For a few days, Don and Sbongile slept in the rusty Mercedes. On the second morning, a pair of nyaope men knocked on the windows and scared Sibongile. Even though he doesn’t have any money, or a job, Don had to find a place for him and his daughter.
When Teddy heard about the scary nyaope vagabonds, he pleaded with Zodwa to let Don and Sbongile move back. But Zodwa dismissed this as another Don trick. She went to speak to Don. She found Sbongile alone at the car. Don was out looking for accommodation. As Sbongile spoke about her late mother, she broke down and cried. Zodwa felt sorry for her and invited her back home. Later, Don joined them. It’s hard to remember Zodwa as the struggling alcoholic of season one. Her role has progressed almost to the same level as Gladys in season one; Gomora’s do-gooder.
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Sonto seeks forgiveness
After cheating the justice system, Sonto sought Langa’s forgiveness. Her grandson suggested that she does a good deed, start a feeding scheme for disadvantaged school children, he said. Sonto and Mazet began a feeding scheme at Gomora Secondary with the approval of the SGB. Gladys opposed the idea. She did not want Sonto “using the school to recruit children into crime.” As if Sonto would be like “hey kids, here’s some pap and vleis, after you’re done eating, let’s go and steal some cars.”
But despite Gladys’ disapproval, the feeding scheme continued.
Gladys loses control
While Gladys was out with Ntokozo, a sangoma told her that her son knew the truth about Mohato’s death and that her brother’s spirit needed to find peace. Ntokozo denied any knowledge of his uncle’s death. Gladys began to investigate. She pushed and pushed until Ntokozo finally told the truth. Uncle is dead. I know where he is buried. Melusi and Gladys were like say what?
Ntokozo’s confession once again brought tension between him and Melusi. Ntokozo begged to explain himself but Melusi was not interested, he told him to tell his story to the cops. Ntokozo went to the police and tried to tell them about the whereabouts of Mohato’s decomposing body. But officer Nabe – the only bearded cop in South Africa – refused to listen. He told him to go away.
“I will believe you when you dig up Mohato and send me a selfie”
Ntokozo told Mam Sonto and Mazet everything, his father had ordered him to tell the cops about Mohato. He shouldn’t have.
Back home, Ntokozo grabbed a shovel and knocked on his parents bedroom door. He was going to dig up his uncle. Gladys and Melusi followed.
Ntokozo and Gladys dug through the night like night shift gold miners. Sunrise arrived and they had not found Mohato’s gawdy shirt, his shiny jewelry or his rotting body. Sonto must have moved the body Ntokozo said.
The tension in the Dlamini house was thick as horse’s hindquarters. Ntokozo felt the need to clear the air. That’s when he told his parents; he went on that fatal joyride to impress Mazet, he had been scared of Jomo, Mam Sonto showed him Mohato’s body as a warning, I will kill the people you love if you ever cross me. Melusi understood.
But Gladys was steadily unravelling. After the all night Mohato excavation attempt, she and Melusi confronted Sonto and Mazet as they served food at Gomora Secondary. No more feeding scheme Melusi announced. Sonto did not stop serving food. Gladys spat a glob of phlegm into the serving pot – rhaaa pthu! The feeding scheme stopped.
But the SGB, chaired by Sbonga called for Gladys to be stopped. Pressured by deputy principal Miss Hlongwani, Melusi agreed that Gladys was out of line. The two of them drafted a letter of apology to the learners. Gladys was summoned to the school. She had to sign the letter. She refused.
Melusi booked Gladys into a retreat, fearing that she was out of control. Gladys at first refused to go. Finally she accepted that she needed help.
Langa chooses happiness
News of Siya Xaba’s departure from the award winning series, Gomora, had leaked onto social spaces. On Gomora, Langa was in good spirits. He had chosen happiness rather than bitterness he said. He suggested that the family has a party to celebrate his Gogo’s feeding scheme. Langa invited the Dlaminis. Gladys who had agreed to go away suddenly fell deeper into her vortex of anger; Sonto is having a party while her brother rots in an unmarked grave.
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The Molefe household dressed up, Langa wore a tuxedo. They held their dinner party at Sonto’s tavern. Melusi who absconded in order to show support to the mentally unstable Gladys sent his first born a text, requesting photos. The party had ended and Langa stayed behind to look for his mother’s misplaced phone and to lock up the tavern. What happened next was almost Biblical.
Fire rains down on Gomora
As Langa searched for Thathi’s phone, took selfies and sent them to Melusi, Gladys, the angel of Gomora, lurking in the shadows, spilled an accelerant all over the floor and walls of the tavern, Sonto’s little Gomorrah. Assuming that everyone had left the party, Gladys lit a matchstick and let it fall to the floor. Langa was on the sofa in his Gogo’s office taking pictures and sending them to Melusi when suddenly smoke filled the room. Fire in Gomora, just as in the BiblicL Gomorrah, the place of evil. All that we needed was somebody to turn into a tall pillar of Cerebos salt.
The Molefe family rushed to the scene as Langa screamed for help. By the time the fire had been extinguished, Langa lay on the floor, unconscious. Gladys who must have appeared to be just another curious onlooker stood there, numb, in shock at the realization of her actions. When Ntokozo arrived, Gladys passed out rather than turning into a pillar of salt.
Langa was in a coma in hospital overnight. The doctor said his vital organs had suffered damage from smoke inhalation. In another room, Gladys woke up to find out she was pregnant.
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The Molefe family, together with the Dlaminis, prayed for Langa. Later, Gladys watched as her rival, Thathi, hugged Melusi in Langa’s hospital room. Her guilt was so strong that she forgot about her jealousy. Not long after the Thathi-Melusi hug, the heart monitor machine flat lined. Langa was gone.
I am going to miss Langa, with his nerdy Carlton Banks ways. Farewell to a great young thespian.
Till next week, my pen is capped
Connect with the writer on Twitter @RewindMzansi
Gomora airs weekdays at 7:30pm on Mzansi Magic
Image from Twitter, videos from YouTube