LOCAL film-makers are spoilt for choice. And with kasi life being a trendy hotbed for gritty storytelling, more and more ideas are being realised in feature films and TV series.
Now the premise is not novel, as far as such slice-of-life tales go, but e.tv has, among other dedicated home-grown channels on pay-TV, been giving them a home.
Z’bondiwe is their latest undertaking. The action-packed drama centres on two rival gangs: the Vutha Boys and The Mambas.
Killer Nxasana is the drug lord of the Vutha Boys and Mbazo “Axe” Ngcobo, played by Bongani Maseko, heads the other gang.
Tensions rise between the two as Axe wants to depose Killer, who currently takes the lion’s share of the ill-gotten gains. Just to make things more interesting, there is a woman, in this case, Roxanne (Zola Nomboma), at the centre of the feud. But with Killer’s right-hand man, Jakes Masilo (Israel Makoe), handling his affairs, Axe and his gang have their work cut out for them.
What’s most interesting about these roles for Makoe and Maseko, is that, at one point in their lives, this was their reality.
THE HENCHMAN – ISRAEL MAKOE
The right-hand man you don’t want to be on the wrong side of. Crossing him could cost you a limb, if he is in a good mood.
Makoe many will remember from Yizo Yizo, which marked his big break after being released from prison in 1999. He went on to star in Gaz’lam, Zone 14 and Rockville.
Of his character’s badass disposition, he notes: “Every character has a good and a bad side. Jakes depicts the bad side to save his life. He’s a big shark, even though Killer is his boss. Jake has the whole map to run the game.”
On how he came to be involved with this project, Makoe shares: “I was involved in the script development (phase) in Cape Town, giving advice and sharing my past life experience when I was a gangster. And I was also part of the pitch before it was approved.”
That said, he has given Z’bondiwe his stamp of approval.
He maintains: “It is a well-researched and well-cast story. Even though there’s a lot of action – too much sometimes – there is also a beautiful story about Roxanne and Nthando (Axe’s new strong-arm). They find themselves trapped in the criminal world. They represent those innocent people who, through unexpected situations, find themselves in such circumstances. Anything is possible.
“Z’bondiwe has action, romance, true love, glamour, style and is told through authentic township lingo. You will cry and you will laugh.”
Not wanting to let much of his story arc out the bag, he hinted that Jakes is no small fry in the unfolding power struggle. Think along the lines of what Julius Malema was to the ANC before he was unceremoniously stripped of his rank as the youth leader.
GANGSTER’S PARADISE – BONGANI MASEKO
WHILE he is still getting to know the lay of the land as an actor, Maseko is proficient in the finer nuances of his criminal character, Axe.
Maseko shares: “I grew up in Alex and the only way of life I knew was crime. At 16, I was involved in dealing and using drugs to survive. I would steal to buy the drugs and provide for my family. I was arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison. That marked my ‘turnaround’. I attended church, got rehabilitated, joined life skill programmes and studied (till grade 10). While serving time, I realised how wrong my lifestyle was. So I invested all that energy in drama and performances. That’s when I realised I could use my talent to let my family, friends and community forgive – and accept – me.”
Maseko, who has appeared in Zone 14 (seasons 2, 3 and 4), Intersexions (season 2), Heartlines and 4Play: Sex Tips for Girls (season 3), says he bagged this role “through prayer and, auditions, of course”.
“My whole life is an example of that tsotsi lifestyle, so playing Mbazo (aka Axe) comes easily. I can relate to him, for obvious reasons. He is actually a great guy, but circumstances – from his childhood and relationship with his father – have forced him to fend for himself. And he wants to justify himself and step out of his father’s shadow. He likes being a boss, which makes him addicted to power.”
But, like most powerful figures, a woman can be their Achilles’ heel. Such is the case with Axe.
Maseko hints: “The people he loves are his biggest flaws because he sees no wrong in them and his other weakness is being second-best (to Killer), especially with him following on from his father’s legacy.”
In many ways, Z’bondiwe was a cathartic experience for Maseko, who believes that the subject of family, acceptance, love and honesty, beautifully offsets the vicious cycle of gang violence and turf wars.
• Z’bondiwe, e.tv from May 12 at 9.30pm.