‘Kota” is what other people call “bunny chow” or “spatlho”. It is a gory-looking dish were ingredients such as chips, eggs, sausages and polony are all put together in a chunk of bread.
The sight of it would kill Jamie Oliver, but after your first bite, with tomato sauce and mustard, you’ll feel as if you’ve eaten something unique.
But the kota sandwich is not always tasty; making it is a tricky business and takes someone who knows which ingredients go well together.
Which brings us to the Mzansi Magic sitcom, Kota Life Crisis. Likened to the South African township burger, the show looks at mismatched family members who are forced to work together.
When the father of the Sihlahla half-brothers dies, Voni and Sduduzo inherit his kasi home which comes with a tuckshop.
What they don’t realize is in their father’s will is another beneficiary, an unknown half-brother called Casper who sur- faces just in time to get his piece of the pie.
So now the three ingredients of this kota have to get along as they run the family and the tuckshop.
The show stars Thapelo Mokoena ( pictured), Given Stuurman, Mackmillian Leshumo and Bongani Madondo.
It’s been a good time for Mokoena. Besides the Hunters Dry ads that had us calling each other “Chinas”, he’s also been in The Long Walk to Freedom.
Madondo takes us back to his most prized role, Detective Ndovela, in Mtunzini.com. Since then he has done serious roles when not directing so it will be fun to see him loosen up.
Stuurman starred as Speedy in the SABC1 drama, Tshisa. He was also in Gauteng Maboneng.
So this mix should make for an interesting kota.
• Kota Life Crisis, Tuesday, 7pm, Mzansi Magic, (161).