Since itS premiere, tHe SHow continueS to be a leading daily Staple – witH new twiStS, drama and Some Startling returnS.

Here iS an excluSive look at tHe StorieS and cHaracterS tHat keep uS glued to tHiS encHanting Soapie

second edition

collectors’ item

the story so far

T WO decades ago, after Chief Bhekifa Ntshangase’s ruthlessness and killings during the liberation struggle, a group of people in the valley decided to take revenge and burn down his house. Unbeknown to

them, Bhekifa’s pregnant wife was in the house and died in the fire. Bhekifa fled the valley but has returned as Chief and wants to avenge the death of his wife and unborn child.

He believes the Zungu family patriarch, Mpiyakhe Zungu, ordered the group to set his house on fire. Bhekifa wants Mpiyakhe to pay, and he will do whatever it takes to get his revenge.He knows that one of Mpiyakhe’s weaknesses is his sister, Mkabayi, so he goes after her. The question is: will Bhekifa succeed in using Mkabayi, who is aggressive and abrasive, as bait?

Isibaya producer, Desiree Markgraaff, says they had a great time exploring this twist in the tale. “Bhekifa and Mpiyakhe were war soldiers during the liberation struggle, so their connection comes a long way.

“Bhekifa has always been very ruthless, causing a lot of bloodshed in the

valley. Mpiyakhe, on the other hand, believes in protecting his family and the valley. He wants them to prosper. This latest showdown between the men will raise the question as to whether they should continue being enemies or unite and have a position of strength in the valley,” Desiree says.

As the story of the Zungus and Ntshangases plays itself out, Mpiyakhe’s daughter, Thandeka, makes a startling return. The apple of her father’s eye, she finds herself caught in the middle of his wars. What will she bring that will help the situation, or will she also be used as bait in the showdown?

Looming in the shadows is the valley’s number-one enemy and taxi warlord, Samson Ndlovu, who’s just got out of prison. Why has he been released early? Who helped secure his release and what is he planning to do? Is the valley in for another taxi war while Bhekifa, Mpiyakhe and Mkabayi have it out on the other side? What does Samson’s return mean for the Zungus? Are they getting an enemy or an ally who will help them take Bhekifa down?

Mpiyakhe and Bhekifa settle the score in a thrilling life-and-death standoffThe entire second season has been leading up to the dramatic face-off between Mpiyakhe and Bhekifa in the middle of a scrap yard.

After linking the Zungus to the untimely death of his wife and unborn son many years ago, Bhekifa sets out to make his family’s killers pay – but Mkabayi is hot on his heels and hell-bent on protecting her family. A failed hit on Bhekifa leaves a strong-willed Mkabayi at the Chief’s mercy after being kidnapped.

Sihle secretly sets out to help Fezile and Mpiyakhe find Mkabayi, but this lands her in trouble and she is kidnapped by Blade and Bhekifa. Tied up and stuck in the boot of Bhekifa’s car with Sihle, Mkabayi is rendered helpless. Is this the end for her?

As the Zungu-Ntshangase confrontation comes to a head,

Bhekifa’s son, Zweli, begs his father to let Sihle go. He insists she has nothing to do with any of the conflict. But Bhekifa wants Mpiyakhe to feel the pain he felt when he lost his wife and won’t let his son get in the way of his master plan. Will Zweli stand up to Bhekifa, or will father and son join forces against the enemy?

Will Mpiyakhe manage to save his sister or will her story end tragically at the hands of an age-old rival? Whose side will Zweli choose as he discovers that both his father and mentor, Mpiyakhe, have dark secrets?

THE SHOWDOWNTHaNDEka’S rETurN

The scene for which we’ve all stayed glued to our screens: the ultimate face-off between Mpiyakhe and Bhekifa. Will the Chief finally

avenge his family’s killing?

journey as a married woman as she tries to juggle her roles as a modern working woman and a traditional wife.

We follow her on her path of self-discovery and learn more about her and her take on her new life.

Will she be able to convince Mkabayi and Mpiyakhe to let the war go, or will she be too late? Will her healing nature bring peace back to the valley?

thandeka returns froM her year-long stay in kenya with her husBand, sBu She’s come home to honour her mother’s passing, but finds her family in crisis. As the family’s ancestral channel, her role is important as her generation’s anchor in the Zungu clan.

Thandeka’s role gradually took a dramatic turn in the first season. She went from being a young, carefree medical student, to becoming the heart and soul of the Zungu family – saving her father’s life and restoring peace in the valley.

She was thrust into the spirit world when she became the family’s only ancestral channel and was exposed to a more sinister side of the world.

A year later, Thandeka returns to find her family in turmoil again.

Will she resume her role as peacemaker or have her father and aunt gone too far?

Thandeka returns for the yearly ritual she and her father have, visiting her mother’s grave. But with the chaos, will she head back to Kenya with her husband or will she choose to stay and try to keep the family together?

What will she make of her father’s return to fighting after he promised her he wouldn’t do it again?

We also join Thandeka on her

THaNDEka’S rETurNThandeka, the Zungu clan’s peacemaker and ancestral link, comes home. Will she be able to restore harmony in the valley once more?

saMson returns to the valleyKnowing the valley community were angry with him about the corrupt UTA (taxi association) construction deal and discovery of the bodies at his “partner-in-crime” inyanga Sunday Nkabinde’s yard, Samson Ndlovu returns quietly to the valley.

He stays in the shadows for some time as he’s broke and isn’t the valley’s favourite person. Surprisingly, even after their relationship had soured during the time he was in jail, Sunday is the reason why Samson has managed to secure an early release from prison.

is iris a changed woMan?Mpiyakhe’s high-maintenance mfazi wephepa’s fall from grace didn’t last too long. Iris went from living hand-to-mouth at a relative’s place before moving to the valley, where she had her eye on Bhekifa’s power and money.

The calculating city-slicker used her knowledge of the Zungu family’s secrets to worm her way into Bhekifa’s home and secured a spot as his strategic partner. Having once dreaded the trips to the valley, Iris has now found a home in the rolling hills of Ebhubesini. She also forms an alliance with Samson

THE villaiN iS backSamson Ndlovu, the valley’s villain and the Zungu’s archrival, is out

of prison. Is he still all-powerful and can he restore his status as a kingpin in the valley?

Will Sunday want some kind of payback for this favour? And how will Samson manage since he’s lost not only his throne as taxi lord but also his money? Will his brother, Mandla, who is now in charge, give back the reigns to Samson or will he fight to stay in charge? With the two brothers’ egos likely to clash, is there another war looming?

“Mandla has become arrogant and very bossy while his brother has been in prison. The only person who knows how to put him in his place is his brother and whether that will happen with Samson having lost his power,

only time will tell,” says Desiree.Mandla also tried to seduce

Samson’s wife, KaMajola, while he was away. If Samson finds out, what will this mean for the brothers? Will KaMajola have the courage to tell her husband of his brother’s advances?

“Samson’s return will shake up the valley as most people will not know his intentions. He will take the back seat for a while, with his brother manipulating him,” adds Desiree.

It will be interesting to see what will happen next in the valley if Samson regains his power and finds the money he apparently hid.

Ndlovu’s wife, KaMajola, cementing her removal from the Zungus.

We see Iris warm to the idea of motherhood and hope to make up for the relationship she never had with her first daughter, whom she has still not found. After a dramatic scene that saw Iris give birth in S’khaleni’s taxi with his help, Iris struggles in her new role as a nurturer. Her friend, Pam, also reveals her more caring side as she bonds with the baby. But does motherhood mean the end of Iris’ scheming ways? Will she settle down and choose an “honest” path? Most importantly, is her baby a Zungu?