WeeklySA_AdminEBONY AND IVORY:A fresh mix of seasoned and up coming artists
By Gugu Sibiya
Land, politics, back stabbing, wealth, cheating, greed, tragedy and a disgruntled community, are at the pillars of this long awaited television offering – The Estate.
Set around The Echelon Estate, where the rich, politically connected and embattled Phakathwayo family reside, the family are without a doubt the “Mrs Jones” of the community.
Leading the cast is Muzi, who is played by Sdumo Mtshali and his beautiful wife and heart of the family Lwandle portrayed Joanne Reyneke, who are into business.
Then there is their aunt Goniwe (Linda Sebezo) an MEC for transport, while their cousin Castro (Aubrey Poo) is a retired commander of the armed Struggle.
Muzi stirs a hornet’s nest when he wants to move graves to make way for his development project. Residents from the neighboring Thembalethu are incensed. A crossing of swords that sees Muzi step on cultural toes and a political time bomb. He has incurred the people’s wrath and there after the relations are tricky.
Life at The Echelon is not without excitement thanks to Muzi’s wandering eye. His affair with the reverend’s daughter comes to light. This during a family ceremony. They are captured having sex and to everybody’s dismay, the sleazy sex-tape is trending. Fresh from that scandal, Goniwe is humiliated at a public meeting. Her campaign is in jeopardy when she’s accused of previously having been an informer.
These coincidences are unsettling because somebody who knows them well is betraying them, but the question is who?
Muzi is kidnapped, tortured and disappears without a trace. That there’s no demand for a ransom is unsettling. When he finally surfaces looking like death warmed over, the family is besides itself with worry.
The snake is in the family. A resentful Castro who is nursing a long list of grudges, is getting even. He’s proving that as a strategist he can undo the family. Guess who runs for premiership after Goniwe has bowed to pressure? Castro!
On the fringes you have everyday people pushing their hustle, selling clothes and this and that. A doctor who can’t deal with the death of his wife and unwittingly burdens his daughter with his poor judgement. A man wants divorce because he’s discovered the joys of being gay with a brand new hubby.
The Estate is interesting and it would be easy to fall in love with it. However, it’s also a mix bag of tricks, like these guys are leaving nothing to chance. In a short space of time they cover so much issues, it leaves you breathless. A striking balance between seasoned and not so there yet artists. Like ebony and ivory keys making melodic notes, they combine to deliver this potentially amazing story.
