Giyani promises a colourful wedding extravaganza

Hardly three months into our TV screens, but Giyani Land of Blood, the Xitsonga Telenovela has become the talk of the town.

July 22, 2019

Tintswalo Shipalana 1 minute read

Khensani Mudau, portrayed by Mathabo Mothibe, shares a lighthearted moment with her wedding attendants. SABC2 TV Drama Giyani: Land of Blood which will be airing a three episode wedding extravaganza. Photos supplied.

The upcoming three day wedding episode extravaganza promises to take the show’s viewing rates to another level, when Vukosi Moyo potrayed by Fumani N Shilubana marry Nkhesani Mudau potrayed by Mathabo Mothibe.

Shilubana told Letaba Herald that the wedding episodes will showcase the beauty of the Xitsonga colours and traditional attire.

“For decades our culture has been laughed at and mocked by fellow South Africans and I believe that after this, there will be no Tsonga girl who would not want to get married in her traditional dress.

“It will change the negative perceptions people had about our bright colours,” Shilubana added.

Resigned to her fate, Khensani Mudau puts up a brave face as the designer puts on the final touches to her incredible wedding dress. photo supplied.

The telenovela is set in the fictional village of Risinga in Giyani, it brings to life the conflict of two families (Mudau and Baloyi) who are locked in a bitter decades-long squabble over a contested piece of fertile land and the banana plantation built on it.

Also read: ‘Giyani’ changing the Xitsonga narratives

The TV premiered on out the TV screens on Monday, April 1 and ever since it has been doing well, considering the fact that it airs outside of primetime.

The wedding couple – an ecstatic Vukosi Moyo and heartbroken Khensani Mudau, pose for
wedding pictures. Photo supplied

“During the airing of our show we see big advertisements and this proves that the series attracts different kinds of people even viewers with influence and that in itself is a great achievement, he told herald.

He further went on to appreciate the support which the show has received in the past two to three months from all South Africans and said that the telenovela has proved that Xitsonga speaking people are as talented as the other tribes.

“Although there are few people who criticise the series, but we want people to focus on the bigger picture, that this is the first step in liberating other Tsonga creatives.

Khensani Mudau (MathaboMothibe) and Musa Baloyi (Wiseman Zitha) share a tender moment as they grapple with the fact that Khensani has agreed to marry another man. Photo supplied.

“We are now seeing a lot more Tsonga people being involved in different kinds of TV programs and we believe that the drama has played a role in this change,” he futher added.

Parents of the bride, Gladys and Richard Mudaureflect on how horribly all their well-laid plans have gone, as they prepare for their daughters wedding. photo supplied.

The wedding scenes will be aired from Monday, July 22 to Wednesday, July 24 at 21:30 on SABC 2.

July 22, 2019

Tintswalo Shipalana 1 minute read

Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.