Three of “The River’s” leading performers depart

Three of The River’s main actors—Hlomla Dandala, Lawrence Maleka, and Tango Ncetezo—have announced their departures.

Police commissioner Zweli Dikana has played Dandala in the show since it debuted in 2018, while Maleka plays bad guy Zolani Dlamini and Ncetezo plays shabeen queen Paulina Dlomo.

The actor who plays Zweli announced on Instagram on Saturday, October 15, that he was quitting a show but didn’t say which one.

The news that Hloma and two other performers, Lawrence Maleka and Tango Ncetezo, who play Zolani and Paulina, respectively, are quitting the show has now been officially confirmed by the channel.

The trio will leave the show at separate points throughout the current season 5 of the program, the television network Mzansi Magic said on Monday.

The channel said in a statement that viewers have enjoyed seeing the actors’ individual characters develop. “As an essential part of The River from the beginning, viewers have enjoyed watching the growth of the actors’ individual characters,” it said. “Zweli with his often well-meaning mishaps, which sometimes result in dramatic consequences; Zolani with his fierce love and loyalty that at times goes too far; and Paulina whose bold look hides the soft heart of a woman who faces the toughest of battles,

“As three of the top performers in the nation, they’ve provided audiences with enough to talk about and enjoy, from plots that highlighted the darker aspects of their characters to softer, happier moments. On the Tshedza Pictures program, Dandala plays Zweli Dikana, Maleka is Zolani Dlamini, and Ncetezo is Paulina Dlomo.

Maleka won the 2019 South African Film and Television (Safta) Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Telenovela for his work on the program.

We would like to express our gratitude to Hlomla, Lawrence, and Tango for their invaluable contributions to the program and the extraordinary labor that went into creating their characters. We have enjoyed working with them on the show since they all brought professionalism, dedication, presence, and personality to the table. The director of regional entertainment channels for M-Net, Shirley Adonisi, expressed excitement for what their journey may bring.