Mzansi Wethu’s telenovela, Homecoming, has taken over the 18:30 slot with full force and has become viewers’ early evening appointment viewing. It’s not just the storyline, but the mix of characters that drive it, and few command the screen like Matron Khathazile.
Played with fierce conviction by the talented Khombi Phetla, the matron is more than just a caretaker, she’s a force of nature, protector, and keeper of secrets in the heart of the community.
Producer Lulu Hela delves into the making of this unforgettable character and the layers that make Matron Khathazile one of the show’s most compelling figures.
Mzansi Magic (MM): What drives Matron Khathazile to maintain such strict control over the village clinic?
Lulu Hela (LH): She is driven by an absolute belief in her own skill, a need for order and assurance, and a desire to protect her legacy and power. After decades of being the sole authority in an under-resourced setting, she has developed a god complex. Her iron-fisted control is her method of creating order and she doesn’t want anyone to defy her rules. The clinic is her territory, her life's work, and the source of her social power. Strict control is how she protects her status and defends against any threats to her authority.
MM: How does her role as a healthcare authority clash with modern medical practices introduced by Zethu?
LH: The clash is an important part of the story. Matron's authority is based on first-hand knowledge, while Zethu comes from formal education and evidence-based modern medicine. Matron dismisses Zethu's qualifications as mere "book-smart" theory. She sees Zethu's new approaches not as progress, but as a challenge to her proven methods, and her self-claimed identity as the saviour.
MM: In what ways does Matron’s leadership reflect the tension between tradition and progress?
LH: She runs the virginity testing program with a traditionalist's zeal and enforces old customs. She frames modern critique as “nonsense”, positioning herself as the guardian of cultural and moral purity. Zethu, representing progress, questions the harm of these practices; hence she pulled her sister Nomfundo out of the virginity testing.
MM: Are there emotional wounds that Matron carries and do they affect her professional life?
LH: Yes. She has "unhealed wounds" from past betrayal. These wounds manifest as deep-seated bitterness and a need to proclaim control in every other aspect of her life. Her professional life becomes a ground where she can exercise the power and command the respect she felt was denied to her in her personal life when MaShabalala emshaya ngestina.
MM: Is her resentment toward Zethu rooted more in personal betrayal or professional rivalry?
LH: It is rooted in personal betrayal. The professional rivalry is simply the fitting vehicle for expressing a decades-old personal grudge. She would likely resent any doctor challenging her authority, but Zethu's parentage makes the resentment far more intense.
MM: How does Matron’s intense bond with her son Shobane shape her worldview and decisions?
LH: Shobane is her entire emotional world, her “pride, her obsession, her everything”. He has become a substitute for the romantic partnership she never had. She almost treats him like a husband. This unhealthy bond means most of her decisions are often based on what is best for him and his image, rather than what is rational. He is her proof of success despite her personal heartbreak.
MM: Why is Matron so committed to practices like virginity testing, despite criticism?
LH: She sees it as her moral and cultural mission to uphold morality and purity. For her, these traditions are the foundation of the Okhambeni community's identity. Rejecting them is equivalent to losing the norms or values.
MM: How does she reconcile her brilliance as a nurse with her bitterness and emotional rigidity?
LH: She likely doesn't see a need to reconcile them. In her mind, her bitterness and rigidity are the sources of her strength. She believes her emotional wounds have hardened her into the effective, no-nonsense leader the village needs.
MM: How does she justify rejecting younger doctors and modern healthcare approaches?
LH: She views them as arrogant and naïve for trying to bring change to a system she believes she has mastered.
MM: Is Matron’s authority a mask for deeper insecurities or unresolved grief?
LH: Yes. Her entire personality – the iron fist, the absolute authority, the need to be feared and respected – is a shelter she has built to protect herself from her unresolved grief over Zenzo, and the insecurity of being deemed inadequate.
MM: What legacy does Matron hope to leave behind in her community?
LH: She wants to be remembered as the unyielding saviour and moral pillar of the community. Her legacy is one of holding on to tradition, control, and respect.
Tune in to Homecoming, Mondays to Wednesdays at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163).
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