What next for Uzalo?

Uzalo viewers are finding it hard to believe that supposed lead character Gxabhashe is really dead. LIZEKA MADUNA speculates.

A flawed family man is dead, a man of God is in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and the only person who knows what really happened isn’t about to confess.

It’s been only a short while since panelbeater/crime boss Muzi Xulu aka Gxabhashe was murdered but conflict is already rife in the Xulu families. The elders want his wife, Mangcobo, to agree to take his body to his birthplace for burial and his murderous brother Mkhonto is already acting as the head of the family.

Pastor Melusi Mdletshe is still in prison on charges of murder. His family is trying hard to prove his innocence but the lawyer has made it clear that Mdletshe might be going to prison for a very long time.

Meanwhile, the church choir is determined to sing at the funeral. But given that the choir leader is the pastor’s son, it may not happen. Gxabhashe’s family has also made it clear that the pastor’s wife, Manzuza is not welcome anywhere near the mourning Xulu family.

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Gxabhashe and Mdletshe were the heads of their respective families. With neither of them around, how will the two families handle matters?

Right now speculation is rife that Gxabhashe did not actually die in the shooting and that actor Mpumelelo Bhulose might yet return to Uzalo. Many viewers  have vowed on social media never to watch the drama again if Gxabhashe is really dead. Whether they will carry through with that threat remains to be seen.

It seems unlikely that Bhulose will return to the role, and recent TV has shown that no show rests on one actor or character alone.

But even if Gxabhashe were somehow to return from the dead, how would the writers explain this? Could he have faked his death or made a miraculous recovery? Soapies are known for stretching the bounds of believability but explaining away an apparent death can’t easily be done.

There’s another camp that believes that there is a possibility that, should Gxabhashe return, the secret of the baby swop that lies at the heart of Uzalo will be revealed and the two families will unite.

But where’s the drama in that? Might as well end the show right there. My guess is that Gxabhashe or no, the mystery of the baby swop, won’t resolve any time soon.

Do you watch Uzalo? What do you think lies in store for the show over the next few weeks? Tell us on social media or in the comments.

– Featured image via Uzalo SABC1 Official Facebook page