Actor Hlomla Dandala raised panic levels on Friday with his cryptic post that revealed that his time on the Safta award-winning telenovela “The River” had come to an end.
Posting on his Instagram Stories, the actor wrote: “The end of an actor’s time on a long-running show is always bitter-sweet. Wishing my colleagues a smooth fruitful run. You will be missed.”
Dandala is best known for his role as Zweli Dikana and has been a part of the main cast since the show debuted on the channel.
At the beginning of season 5, his character in a time-lapse scene was bleeding after suffering a knock to the head. This had viewers suspecting that he could be departing the telenovela.
“The River” has confirmed that Dandala along with favourites Lawrence Maleka and Tango Ncetezo will be leaving for new ventures and some storylines have reached their end.
“As an essential part of ‘The River’ from the beginning, viewers have enjoyed watching the growth of the actors’ individual characters.
“As three of the top performers in the country, they have given viewers plenty to talk about and be entertained by, from storylines that brought out their characters’ dark sides to softer, lighter moments,” read part of the media statement.
Shirley Adonisi, director of Local Entertainment Channels on M-Net, said: “We would like to thank Hlomla, Lawrence and Tango for their priceless contributions to the show, as well as the incredible work that went into giving their characters life.
“They all brought professionalism, dedication, presence and charisma to the table, and we have loved working with them on the show. We look forward to seeing what their adventure holds.”
Each actor’s final scenes will air at various dates in the near future.
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