The River (South African TV series)

The River
Season 4 poster
Genre	Drama Telenovela
Created by	Phathutshedzo Makwarela Gwydion Beynon
Written by	Christa Biyela Lebogang Magashoa Bonga Percy Vilakazi Thato Dipholo Donna Sibande Nandisa Mkhize Caroline Kganyago Sthembile Mnisi Shitshembiso Mabasa
Directed by	Johnny Barbuzano Ferry Jele Catharine Cooke Sandile Mdluli Zolani Phakade
Creative directors	Johnny Barbuzano Bonga Percy Vilakazi
Starring	Sindi Dlathu Hlomla Dandala Presley Chweneyagae Thembinkosi Mthembu Nokuthula Ledwaba Seputla Sebogodi
Theme music composer	Sindi Dlathu
Opening theme	Blues Saraceno[1]
Composers	Brendan Jury Sindi Dlathu
Country of origin	South Africa
Original languages	English Setswana IsiZulu IsiXhosa
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	1 040 (as of 4 February 2022)
Production
Executive producers	Phathutshedzo Makwarela Gwydion Beynon Sindi Dlathu
Producers	Candice Tennant Bonga Percy Vilakazi Durani Barnardo
Production locations	Cullinan Diamond Mine Refilwe Silver Lakes
Editors	Bongi Malefo Ula Oelsen
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company
Release
Original network	1Magic
Picture format	1080i (HDTV) 576i (SDTV)
Original release	January 29, 2018 (2018-01-29) — present
Chronology
Related shows
External links
Website

The River is a South African telenovela created by Phathu Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon.^[2] It is an M-Net original production produced by Tshedza Pictures for DStv's general entertainment subscription channel 1Magic and is available for streaming on Naspers' subscription-based video-on-demand service Showmax. From 2019 reruns began airing on Mzansi Magic, broadcasting weekdays (from Monday to Friday) at 19:00. In 2021, series lead Sindi Dlathu was announced as co-executive producer for the show's fourth season. In November 2021, The River was renewed for season 5 which is set to premiere in February 2022.

The drama series is set in Pretoria against the backdrop of South Africa's mining sector. A diamond discovery in the river running between the poor township of Refilwe and the affluent neighbourhood of Silver Lakes quickly turns from a blessing to a curse.

Plot[]

The River tells the story of Khanyisa Diamonds mine owner Lindiwe Dlamini, and the extent she will go to in order to protect her family and maintain her lavish lifestyle. Lindiwe is married to provincial police commissioner Zweli Dikana, and is a mother to Andile and Mbali Dikana, step-mother to Nomonde Dikana. The Dikanas live in a mansion in Pretoria East, South Africa.

In the township of Refilwe, where Khanyisa Diamonds is located, live poverty stricken residents, many of whom work at the mine. The Mokoena family, consisting of Malefu Mokoena and her children, Thuso, Dimpho and Itumeleng, live in Refilwe. Unbeknownst to everyone except Malefu, Tumi is adopted, having been found at a river as a baby by her late adoptive father, Thato Mokoena.

Season 1[]

Lindiwe's mine is about to go bankrupt when foreman Thato Mokoena finds an alluvial diamond, whose worth is later revealed to be $45 million, in the river that runs through the township of Refilwe while fishing. Lindiwe murders Thato Mokoena and places the diamond in her mine for her miners to find, so that the discovery is made on her land, while also covering up the murder. Zweli's long lost daughter, Nomonde, becomes Lindiwe's enemy over time.

Malefu Mokoena struggles to raise her children after her husband's death. Her oldest son, Thuso, is frequently in and out of jail. Her adopted daughter, Tumi, marries Lindiwe's nephew, Zolani Dlamini, and moves into the Dikana household. Following their wedding, Lindiwe employs Tumi as the CSR Officer at Khanyisa Diamonds. Lindiwe attempts to steal the land in Refilwe to mine, but her plan is foiled when Tumi dissents, realising Lindiwe's intentions.

Malefu discovers Tumi had a hand in Lindiwe's plan. Malefu disowns Tumi and tells her she was adopted, and gives Tumi half of a necklace her birth mother left her with. Tumi divorces Zolani, who reveals that Lindiwe killed her father. Tumi and her new boyfriend, Lindani, attempt to find evidence by returning to the Dikana mansion. While searching Lindiwe's desk, Tumi discovers Lindiwe is her biological mother. Tumi attempts to reach Lindiwe so they can talk, but is kidnapped and taken to the mine, where she is buried alive by Lindiwe, who knows that Zolani told Tumi of Thato Mokoena's murder.

Lindiwe finds Tumi's message and realising she has buried her own child, attempts suicide by shooting herself.

Season 2[]

Tumi is rescued by Lindani, while Lindiwe makes a full recovery. Tumi subsequently files charges against Lindiwe. Her quest for justice turns sour, as she becomes the prime suspect in the attempted murder of Lindiwe. Subsequently, Lindiwe files charges against Tumi, arguing in court that Tumi is an agent of white monopoly capital sent to destroy her company. Lindiwe is sent to jail

Lindiwe frees Paulina from prison in exchange for Lindani's silence in order to win the case. She is found not guilty. Little that she know, Christo told Zweli that Lindiwe did commit the crimes and she paid him off to support the fact that she was targeted by Johaan Scheepers and his extinct gang. The prophet was right; she may have won the case, but she lost her family. Her husband then wakes up and smells the coffee, he asks her for a divorce and tells her that everything is to stay with him and the kids and she's to leave immediately (with Zolani). He then exiles her to a life of poverty as punishment.

Reeling from her parents' divorce and her mother's disappearance, Mbali resorts to drugs and is kidnapped by her dealer. Nomonde takes over as the CEO of Khanyisa Diamonds and Zweli turns to a prostitute for company.

After rescuing Mbali, Zweli informs his children of Lindiwe's misdeeds. In Refilwe, Cobra and Paulina contest an interim ward election after the councillor dies from a heart attack. Paulina is set to win until Percy and Oupa plant fake votes in favour of Thuso, also known as Cobra.

Cobra wins the election and invites Paulina to join the Council. Lindiwe resurfaces in Refilwe and takes up refuge in the shack she grew up in. Every one of her contacts abandon her when they realise she has lost her power. Tumi finds out Lindiwe is in Refilwe and sets her shack on fire, with Lindiwe inside. Zolani rescues Lindiwe and Sis Flora takes them in out of pity.

Lindiwe pretends to have turned over a new leaf and misleads everyone into believing she is a changed person, as she bides her time and calculates her return. Cobra uses his position as councillor to unfairly award tenders. Nomonde struggles to keep the mine afloat while juggling her relationship with Lindani. After Nomonde is nearly killed by the miners, she begins looking for a new CEO for Khanyisa Diamonds.

Gail Mathabatha (Mary Ann Barlow) enters the lives of the Dikanas when she is hired as Khanyisa's new CEO. Soon she is involved in a romantic relationship with Zweli to Lindiwe's chagrin, setting the latter on a quest for everything she holds dear - her family, her marriage and her mine. She is later killed by Lindiwe on her wedding day.

Zweli is now seen in a wheelchair and Lindiwe begins helping him get better, even if he never asks her for help. Zweli then asks Lindiwe to marry him again. She later gets revenge on those who turned their backs on her when she needed them the most. Zweli later gets his own kids arrested, because they accommodated a wanted criminal in the mansion, and Tumi and Lindiwe finally began reconciling as mother and daughter and married her childhood sweetheart, Lindani.

Thuso together with Percy and Oupa successfully steal Lindiwe's diamonds at the diamond launch which was disrupted by riots. Thuso gives the diamonds to Lindani, who is now Tumi's husband, so that he doesn't get caught by police as he knows that he will be the prime suspect.

Lindani can't keep such a secret, so he tells his friend Charlie about the stolen diamonds. Lindiwe and Zolani brutally torture Charlie for information about the stolen diamonds. They get the information they needed, go to Lindani's house and find the stolen diamonds. A drunk and depressed Lindani enters the house and is immediately shot by Lindiwe.

Tumi and Mbali overhear a conversation between Lindiwe and Zolani celebrating their successful mission. Tumi plans on revenge by tampering with the car's brakes. Mbali cries and fears that her mother is what people call her. She takes her mother's car which has had the brakes tampered with, so by mistakenly dies in a tragic accident.

Season 3[]

Season 3 starts with the confusion and heartbreak of Tumi. Lindiwe feels that she is being punished for her sins. Mbali's funeral is held. Zolani finds love with a girl called Emma. When she realises that he is just an employee of Lindiwe, she persuades him to sue, causing conflict between the two. Zolani finds out about Emma's lies and breaks up with her. Zolani and Lindiwe fix their relationship.

A woman from Cobra's past comes with his son, Morena. Morena steals from the residents of Refilwe but Cobra doesn't believe them until he steals from Dimpho. Andile's boyfriend Njabulo comes back with a friend, Mondli. Mondli and Njabulo are in a relationship and Andile breaks up with him. Andile has an attempted suicide and he and Njabulo get back together. Mabutho and Tumi begin an affair and Andile finds out about it. Tumi breaks it off and walks out of her and Lindani's bedroom. The Dikanas and Lindani are downstairs and see them. Mabutho admits that he and Tumi are in love.

Emma came back from where she was hiding and she was pregnant with Zolani's baby. He and Lindiwe were sceptical but after DNA tests proved that he is the father, Zolani asked Emma to marry him much to Lindiwe's dismay.

An old ex of Lindiwe and friend of Thato Mokoena named Mohumi came to see revenge on Lindiwe for betraying him and to avenge Thato's death. He and his rebels held Lindiwe and her family hostage and wanted to kill Tumi. As he was about to kill Tumi Lindiwe confessed that she is Tumi's father.

After Mohumi was arrested Tumi started visiting him and Lindiwe instructed one of her allies to plant listening devices in her room. While visiting Mohumi in hospital, Tumi told Mohumi that she killed Mbali. Tshabalala showed Lindiwe the recording and she was distraught. Lindiwe forgave Tumi and they reconciled. Tumi stopped visiting Mohumi and Lindiwe went to his prison cell to gloat and she admitted to killing Happy, Sheree and Gail. Unknowingly to Lindiwe, Mohumi was recording her. He sent Tumi the recording and told her to post it on social media. Tumi showed Lindiwe the recording and she and Tshabalala went to his prison cell to take his phone.

Season 3 ended at Zolani and Emma's wedding. Tumi was in a helicopter and she wanted to tell the truth about Lindiwe's crimes at the wedding. Lindiwe called her from the venue and tried to talk her out of telling the truth. She took Tshabalala and they drove to the helicopter pad where the helicopter was meant to land. Lindiwe calculated that Sis Flora was gonna find out about Happy and Zweli was gonna find out about Gail. Lindiwe took Tshabalala's gun and shot at the helicopter as it was about to land. The helicopter exploded with Tumi inside it.

Cast[]

Former Cast:

• Larona Moagi as Tumi Mokoena (main role; season 1 - 3)
• Seputla Sebogodi as Mohumi (recurrin role; season 3 - 4)

• Moshidi Motshegwa as Malefu Mokoena (main role; season 1)

• Connie Ferguson as Harriet Khoza (recurring role; season 1)

• TK Sebothoma as Happy Moloi (main role; season 1)

• Mary- Ann Barlow as Gail Mathabatha (recurring role; season 2)

• Jet Novuka as Walter Sotshongaye(main role; season 1)

• Shannon Esra as Advocate Sandra Stein (recurring role; season 1 - 4)

• Zenokuhle Maseko as Mbali Dikana (main role; season 1 - 2)

• Lunga Shabalala as Lindani Dlomo (main role; season 1 - 3)

• Senzo Ngqobe as Percival "Mapercente"Tau (recurring role; season 1 - 3)

• Warren Masemola as Oupa Matamela (recurring role; season 1 - 4)

• Ntokozo Dlamini as Sihle Ngema (recurring role; season 2)

• Kenned Stab as Goliath (recurring role; season 1)

• Lebogang Tlokana as Dora Phakathi (recurring role; season 2)

• Masasa Mbangeni as Advocate Akhona (recurring role; season 2)

• Sello Maake Ka Ncube as Malome Sechaba (recurring role; season 1 -3)

Guest stars[]

• Zenzo Ngqobe as Percival "MaPercente"
• Warren Masemola as Oupa Manamela
• Maduvha Madima as Minister Joyful
• as Goliath
• Mary Anne Barlow as Gail Mathabatha
• Sello Maake Ka-Ncube as Malome Sechaba
• Shannon Esra as Sandra Stein
• T.J. Mokhuane as Tshepo
• Shahan Ramkissoon as himself
• Masasa Mbangeni as Advocate Akhona
• Ntokozo Dlamini as Sihle Ngema
• Thabo Malema as Ten Ten
• Michelle Craig as a journalist
• Robert Whitehead as Judge Christoper Knowles
• Lebogang Tlokana as Dora Phakati
• Winnie Ntshaba as MaDlomo
• Nkanyiso Bhengu as Pastor
• Alina Moloi as Constable Candy

Awards and nominations[]

References[]