Are they welcomed with open arms or not?
Mzansi Magic prime-time telenovela Champions is still captivating audiences leaving them in the thick of the drama especially in the Modise mansion. Following the death of Washington, there are a few new house guests each with their own agendas, believing they deserve a share of the Giants' success. Interestingly enough, they believe their debt is due and with Washington gone, it is a perfect opportunity for their return to cash their share of Modise empire. Nomvula and Mthokozisi Modise will be played by the award winning Thuli Thabethe and Aphelele Shezi who played Tshepo in Mzansi Magic crime drama series Code 13 as some of the new faces gracing the 19:00 telenovela. The mother-and-son walked into the Modise house last night, Tuesday 13 August when Philemon was rigorously cleaning his brother’s blood stains from the front door rug and with their sights set on clinching the throne, will they succeed?
Meet Nomvula Modise
Nomvula, affectionately known as Sis Nomvula to everyone, is a charismatic woman with a larger-than-life personality. She is Philemon’s (played by Tumelo Masha) wife as they didn’t officially divorce but have rather lived separately for the past few years. She is a mother of two, Kgotso (played by Rethabile Masha) and Mthokozisi’s (played by Aphelele Shezi) mother. She a strong, dominant woman, but finds her softness in her purpose of serving others and that is how her relationship with Philemon blossomed as she used her skills sewing church uniforms in her hometown to cater for the financial needs of the rising Giants soccer club. She is big on family and bringing people together and that is why she is seeking to re-unite her family by bringing her son and husband back together. She has a dangerous streak as she is quick to draw the battle lines when necessary.
Nomvula is the definition of behind every successful man is a woman as she stood by Philemon even when he had nothing but a dream of taking Giants to the Premier League. All her hard work and contributions to the team’s s financial needs weren’t enough to get Philemon the recognition he deserves and when he was sidelined by his brother, she felt betrayed especially with the arrival of Lucinda, whom she saw as an opportunistic interloper and Sne who she saw as an underserving heir to the throne. When the team became a success, she realised and she couldn’t get him to start his own team, she couldn’t bear the betrayal and left him to go back home to KZN.
Nomvula and Philemon never officially got divorced and now with Washington’s death and Lucinda being out of the picture, she decided to seize the opportunity and claim the life she believes she and Mtho have always been entitled to. They put in the work and now it’s time they get rewarded.
Introducing Mthokozisi Modise
Mthokozisi, or Mtho, is Philemon’s youngest son, and his return alongside his mother in the Modise mansion marks a significant turning point in the story. Named Goitsemang at birth to honor his grandfather, Mtho later changed his name to distance himself from his father, whom he resented for prioritising his brother Washington over his own family.
Mtho’s relationship with Philemon is strained, particularly as Phil attempts to use his tolerance of Mtho’s sexuality as a badge of good parenting – something Mtho dismisses as the bare minimum. The real issue, as Mtho sees it, is his father’s lack of effort in understanding him and the dismissive attitude towards his passions, which include blogging, vlogging, and styling. Phil uses any chance he gets to remind him of how he dropped out of the expensive design school he was paying for but Mtho felt limited and opted to create a new lane for himself that fused all his passions, which Phil finds irrelevant, and certainly not the work of a man worthy of being an heir to his bourgeoning empire. So, he invested all his parental energy into Kgotso instead.
After his parents split, he chose to leave with his mother, the person who accepted and celebrated him in both closeminded Soshanguve and rural KZN, where the two relocated to when the marriage came apart. Now back in the big city, Mtho is eager to prove his worth and step out from the shadow of the Modise name, all while fiercely defending his mother against anyone who dares challenge her.
As the new mother-and-son duo settles into the Modise mansion, they bring with them a whirlwind of tension, unresolved issues, and a desire for recognition. Audiences can expect explosive drama as they navigate their complicated relationships and fight for their place in the Modise legacy.
Watch Champions from Monday – Friday at 19:00 on Mzansi Magic DStv channel 161.
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