If you had doubts about Sindi Dlathu and Lunathi Mampofu’s acting skills, then the last few episodes of The River surely convinced you otherwise. The two actresses, who play Lindiwe and Emma on the 1Magic hit telenovela, had to dig deep and give viewers some of the most emotional scenes they have seen on South African television. Emma’s rape has not only resonated with a lot of people, but it has possibly given the audience an idea of what rape suvivors go through after the incident happens.
Emma’s dream turns into a nightmare
It all started when Emma was looking for an opportunity to make a name for herself in the business world. She reached out to her husband’s powerful aunt, Lindiwe, and asked for assistance. Although she was hesitant at first, Lindiwe decided to hear her out and went as far as introducing her to a family friend who was a prominent businessman.
What Emma thought would be her ticket to success ended up being her worst nightmare. She pitched her skincare business idea to Zithulele, hoping to get the backing she needed. He sold and promised her the world. However, things turned sour immediately after Emma signed the deal. He forced himself on her and she felt helpless.
Zolani demands the truth
Things didn’t become any easier when she got home and had to face her entire family. The Dikanas were eager to hear about Emma’s deal, but she was in a completely different space mentally as she was trying to make sense of what had happened to her. She was filled with mixed emotions including fear and anxiety and just wanted to be alone.
Her loving husband, Zolani, could tell that there was something wrong, but he jumped to the wrong conclusion. He was convinced that his wife was having an affair with the wealthy businessman.
“I’d respect you more if you were upfront about your affair with Zithulele… Don’t take me for a fool, Emma,” he told her.
Emma comes clean
Because she was trying to protect her nephew, Lindiwe decided to confront Emma about her alleged cheating and told her to leave her house. She told an emotional Emma: “How could you open your legs for a man like Zithulele? You open your legs, and he rejects you, you cry!”
At this point, Emma had no choice but to come clean about what happened. She told Lindiwe that she loved Zolani and would rather leave the mansion with Zolani thinking that she had cheated on him “than to stay with animals like you who think I enjoyed being violated by a man I trusted”.
She added: “He had no right to my body. He had no right to force himself on me… I wake up feeling like I’m buried alive.” Emma’s confession came as a shock to Lindiwe and all she could do was cry and apologise to Emma for having gone through that horrific experience.
Lindiwe embraces Emma and shows her vulnerable side
Like a loving mother would, Lindiwe held Emma in her arms and allowed her to feel pain. It’s as if she was telling her that she would never leave her side and that Emma was safe in her arms. While the truth is finally out in the open, Emma has asked Lindiwe not to tell Zolani. She had another favour to ask her in-law. “Could you please wipe the smell of Zithulele off my back. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get it off.”
This was followed by an emotional scene of Emma in the bathtub with Lindiwe washing her back. There were no words spoken, just a moment that was enough to evoke deep feelings of sadness and empathy from viewers.
Watch new episodes of The River S4 every weekday on 1 Magic and express to Showmax and DStv online.
