Wife from afar

Viewers finally get to meet Sifiso’s wife Nandi, and boy is she feisty!

- LEZANNE JANSE VAN RENSBURG.

Long-distance relationships are crummy – impersonal video calls, lots of mushy messages and no winter cuddles. But if there’s one couple that’s proven distance is no excuse, it’s Sifiso (Bongani Madondo) and his wife Nandi (Fundiswa Zwane, KaMadonsela from 2018-2020 in Imbewu: The Seed, 2018-now, read more on p24). “They’ve navigated marital life with maturity as distance requires trust and communication, and that’s what they’ve done to keep their love and family strong,” says Fundiswa.

NO NANDI?

Even though we’ve heard about Nandi over the past two years, viewers never got to lay eyes on the mysterious wife from afar. Situated in KZN to raise their three kids, while Sifiso brings in the money in Joburg, many of us have wondered whether Nandi actually exists. But the wait was over when we finally met her at the end of July when her sister-in-law MaNtuli (Dieketseng Mnisi) visited KZN to escape the drama regarding her son Kwaito’s (Clement Maosa) biological dad.

MARITAL MESS

While MaNtuli and Nandi don’t always see eye-to-eye, Fundiswa says that overall they have a fairly good relationship. “Their conflict is about boundaries. Nandi feels Sifiso, at times, puts MaNtuli’s needs before the needs of the family,” says Fundiswa. After all, Sifiso did lose his job after standing at MaNtuli’s side when it was revealed that John Maputla (Africa Tsoai) was Kwaito’s dad.

Fundiswa warns us that we shouldn’t be fooled by her character’s simple exterior. “She’s a homemaker by nature, but she is not shy to confront anyone.”