The Wife Season 2 episodes 16-18: Hlomu drives Zandile over the edge

Mqhele’s anger is uncontrollable following his altercation with Qhawe who confesses to sleeping with his wife, Hlomu. 

In this week’s episodes, an angry and agitated Mqhele punches walls as he struggles to come to terms with the anger that overwhelms him. Zandile and Nkosana‘s relationship hits a bumpy road. Meanwhile, Sambulo steps up to claim his rightful position in the Zulu family business.

A lot happens in episodes 16 to 18 of The Wife Season 2. Let’s get to it!

Update: Want to know more? Watch the behind-the-scenes special The Wife: Behind the Veil.

Episode 16 – Mqhele restrains himself

Finding out that your wife has cheated can hit you like a ton of bricks and it’s no different for Mqhele. The thought of his wife sleeping with his brother paralyzes him.

In the past, when Mqhele experienced emotional pain, he converted that pain into anger, and unfortunately it was Hlomu who bore the brunt of that anger. However, in the latest episodes, it seems like Mqhele has turned over a new leaf. Instead of punching Hlomu he is punching walls and using an actual punching bag to deflate his anger and we’re here for it. 

When they finally get to talk, Hlomu denies sleeping with Qhawe. She tells him, “Zulu, you know what Qhawe is like. Qhawe needs help. In his head, I’m his woman. Remember he saw me first?”

Meanwhile, Zandile and Nkosana’s relationship is experiencing a lot of turbulence.

When Zandile asks Nkosana what he thinks about what happened, he tells her he doesn’t know what to make of it. They argue about it, and Hlomu knocks on their bedroom door. She wants Nkosana to intervene as Mqhele is fuming with anger.

“Tell me, what spell did you put on them?” Zandile asks Hlomu. She sees right through Hlomu and knows that Hlomu is not innocent. 

What annoys Zandile, even more, is that she can see that all the Zulu brothers have a soft spot for Hlomu. After a brief argument with Hlomu, Zandile slaps and strangles the brothers’ favourite wife. An act that will soon see her packing.

Episode 17 – Sambulo steps up and claims his rightful place

Despite all the chaos in the Zulu mansion, Nkosana wants Mqhele to take over the family business. Since Zandile’s return from prison, Nkosana has become an easy target therefore he thinks it only makes sense that Mqhele takes over.

Sambulo walks in while they are having a conversation and tells Nkosana he is the one who has to take over the business. Nkosana and Mqhele are surprised by this but the silent assassin decides to jog their memory a bit. He reminds them that he’s the one who has been cleaning up their mess for a while. From Bab’ Nyathi to the Majola troops and recently the police commissioner, Sambulo has been rectifying the Zulu brothers’ mistakes one bullet at a time. 

“I was the one who went out and killed those people. I was the one who took care of all those problems”, says Sambulo. 

Nkosana has no choice but to agree with Sambulo. His younger brother has saved the family many times and it makes sense that he assumes the role of chairman in the taxi association. It is a decision that is met with great hostility not only by the Majolas but by their brother Nqoba as well.

When Nkosana informs Nqoba about Sambulo’s new role it drives a wedge between the brotherhood.

Episode 18 – Nkosana loses his authority

The blatant favouritism and love for Hlomu in the Zulu household drives Zandile over the edge. To her, Hlomu has all the brothers eating out of the palm of her hand and Zandile can’t stand it!

Hlomu gets slick and tells Mqhele and Nkosana about Zandile strangling her. What’s worse, Hlomu is pregnant and shouldn’t be treated that way. They call Zandile to a meeting, and she immediately gets annoyed at how her husband always puts Hlomu first in every situation. Zandile packs her bags and leaves with her kids.

Now, Zandile is temporarily living with Mandisa and Nqoba. Nothing Nkosana can say or do will alleviate his lady’s pain; not even his past efforts could make her stay. Nkosana tries everything to get Zandile to come back home but she won’t hear any of it.

It’s clear as day that big brother Nkosana is losing his authority over the Zulu family. When he arrives at Mandisa and Nqoba’s home looking for Zandile, he is politely shown the door.

Watch The Wife now streaming exclusively on Showmax. Season 3 landing on 10 November 2022.