ETV’s new daily drama series Emzini marked an intriguing start on Monday, 13 April. As vague as the first episode was, it still provided clues on how the storyline might unfold.
Like many families, the Nkosis have skeletons in their closet. Their legacy is built on secrets and blood. But what exactly are those secrets?
AN INTRIGUING START OF ‘EMZINI’
The story begins with 34-year-old Shaka Nkosi, who is told by a traditional healer named Gogo Ongabizwa Ngegama that he must undergo a cleansing ritual.
At the age of 10, Shaka shot and killed a police officer, who was trying to kill his mother alongside her lover, Panyaza.
Young Shaka fled with his mother, leaving Panyaza behind due to injuries sustained after getting shot by the officer, and was then sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Shaka: “This ritual… do you know how much it could cost us, Gogo. Everything. Along with my freedom.”
Gogo: ” Everything you’ve built has been built from blood.”
Shaka: “That man (police officer) was going to kill my mother.”
Gogo: “Shaka, you didn’t just kill that man, you killed his entire lineage, that is extremely costly.”
SHAKA THE BELOVED NKOSI “HEIR”
In the second part of the story, we meet the patriarch of the Nkosi family, Zakhele Nkosi, at his glitzy retirement party.
In his speech, he raves about his beloved son Shaka and officially announces that he will now take over the Nkosi dynasty.
Zakhele: “I’d like to say to my son, I have no single doubt Shaka will take my legacy and that of the Nkosi surname and carry this name worldwide.”
SHAKA VS BANDILE?
Should we brace ourselves for the rivalry between Shaka and his younger brother Bandile, especially after Bandile mumbled, “Everything in this family is always about Shaka?”
After Zakhele announced that Shaka’s 35th birthday party would be held at their Emzini Lounge, the lastborn son, Junior Nkosi, suggested to his brother Bandile that he handle the planning of Shaka’s party and ensure he doesn’t make any mistakes.
Bandile’s response sparked curiosity: “I could never make a mistake, and Dad forgets about it.” Which begs the question, is Bandile the overlooked middle child in the family?
IS ZAKHELE AND DUDU IN AN OPEN MARRIAGE?
The dynamics between this couple are quite strange, to say the least.
At his retirement party, Zakhele openly flirted with a younger woman. His wife Dudu, whom he lavished with compliments during his speech, looked unfazed, much to Gogo’s surprise.
Gogo: “Gosh, girl, why don’t you seem unbothered by your man entertaining another woman?
Dudu gets interrupted by a phone call from Panyaza, who is in prison, asking to see her urgently.
However, in the upcoming episodes, Dudu sets some weird boundaries; she says, “I don’t care about your sluts. But you won’t bring them to my house when I’m home.”
Yikes, is this a sign of an open marriage? Only time will tell.
IS PANYAZA THE FATHER OF SHAKA?
Towards the end of episode one, Dudu leaves her husband’s party to visit Panyaza in prison.
Upon her arrival, he tells her that his parole has been approved and he will be released after 26 years in jail.
He then says, “I think it’s time to tell the boy (Shaka) the truth”.
If Zakhele is not Shaka’s biological father, it adds another riveting layer to this so-called “Nkosi family legacy.”
BANDILE AND JUNIOR’S STORYLINE IS ONE TO LOOK OUT FOR
It’s unfortunate that Zakhele puts his faith in one son, while the other two are overlooked, considering they might end up running the Nkosi empire should the cherished “heir” turn out not to be a Nkosi.
Emzini takes over from Smoke and Mirrors after three seasons on the free-to-air channel.
The show boasts a star-studded cast including former Isibaya actor Muzi Mthabela, Khabonina Qubeka from Shaka Ilembe, Tyson Mathonsi, and the legendary Motshabi Tyelele, among others.