Raw reflection on modern relationships and family trauma

THE internet is currently having a collective, emotional meltdown, and it’s all thanks to Netflix’s explosive new show, The Polygamist.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

Released globally on June 12, the 22-episode local drama has skyrocketed to the top of the charts, igniting a fierce, necessary national conversation about what happens when the curated perfection of a modern marriage violently unravels.

Based on Sue Nyathi’s bestselling novel and produced by Stained Glass Productions, the show features an extraordinary cast of Mzansi’s most loved actors, including Sdumo Mtshali, Gugu Gumede, Kwanele Mthethwa and Celeste Ntuli. But the chat online isn't just about the brilliant acting, though it certainly is top-notch, halala to the cast.

The reality is much closer to home: we all know a “Jonasi” in our lives.

In my world, he went by a different name: wata. My dad was the real Jonasi, with the nickname “Shuffle, and you can guess why.

Tam number 12 out of 14 children. RIP Shaf! When a show holds up a mirror this sharp to society, it forces us to unpack the ugly, raw nuances of family trauma.

To make sense of the madness, we reached out to Katlego Mlambo, a seasoned counselling psychologist and head of the South African College of Applied Psychology’s (Sacap) Pretoria campus.

Together, we look at the raw human truth behind the fiction.

The anatomy of a “Jonasi”: Provision vs destruction

In the court of public opinion, Jonasi Gomora (Mtshali) is a monster.

He is a horrible husband, a neglectful father, and a master manipulator who spun a web of secret families. Yet, societal logic complicates this.

By South African standards, Jonasi is exactly what society labels a “real man”. He is filthy rich, holds high-status integrity and ensures everyone he loves is financially taken care of.

He bought the villas; he paid the private school fees. But we have to look at why Jonasi is the way he is without excusing his damage.