So... the final details of
Zabalaza's replacement have been confirmed.
The action starts on the dusty streets of Limpopo on Monday, 2 May and what follows is a telenovela about a bare-knuckle boxing champ who leaves Limpopo in search of the bigtime in Joziburg.
The series, which was originally titled
The Contender, has been renamed Ring of Lies and stars Mpho Sebeng (Z'bondiwe, Zero Tolerance) as Neo, a boxing champion who gets scouted by well-known manager, Mandla (played by Masoja Msiza).
Neo's parents are disapproving of his dream to become a boxer so he runs away during the night to follow his dream in Joziburg. Here he meets and falls in love with Mandla’s daughter Sli (Dineo Nchabeleng), and then he encounters someone who will impact on him deeply: a formidable boxing opponent Kabelo, played by Zabalaza's Bohang Moeko.
While facing this, it is revealed that Neo’s mother, Naledi (Florence Masebe) has a dark history with Mandla, and there’s more to Mandla’s intentions than what appears on the surface. All of this catapults Neo into a world of secrets, betrayals and lies.
According to Executive Producer Roberta Durrant of Penguin Films: "The story is one of triumph over adversity, and these are good stories to tell. As mothers we often carry secrets and fear telling the truth, in order to protect our children, but eventually truth will out, and often, by not being honest we do more harm to the children we are trying to protect.”
Neo and Kabelo are the two main characters and are supported by a cast that includes other Zabalaza stars, namely Baby Cele and Tessa Twala.
Baby plays Mandla's wife Ruth and Tessa plays the young temptress Gugu. Also in the cast: Slindile Nodangala (Generations' Mam' Ruby Dikobe) as Thando, who has secrets her own.
It will air Mondays to Thursdays, in Zabalaza's timeslot at 21h00.