The Wife Season 3 episodes 7-9 recap: Mandisa starts a feud at Nqoba’s funeral

The Wife Season 3 episodes 7-9 waste no time plunging us right into the aftermath of the passing of Nqoba. It’s only a few episodes into the season and the show is firing on all cylinders with tension and jaw-dropping moments in spades. An unexpected feud between Mandisa and the Zulu brothers breaks out, with Mandisa giving them one hell of a fight. Meanwhile, the Zulus keep hitting a brick wall when they try to avenge Nqoba’s death.

It’s Mandisa’s way or the highway

While Mandisa is sitting in the bedroom, struggling to process Nqoba’s death, Hlomu can’t help but notice that she is not well. She’s drowning her sorrows, trying to make peace with all that has happened, while the Zulu brothers are making arrangements for the funeral. When she finds out from Hlomu that the brothers are planning to bury Nqoba in Mbuba, all hell breaks loose. Agitated and filled with rage, she makes it clear where she wants her love to be laid to rest: Johannesburg.

The tension immediately thickens at the mortuary when the Zulu brothers reprimand Mandisa after they find her washing Nqoba’s body. According to tradition, she is not allowed to do that. They drag her out of the room and you can’t help but feel sorry for Mandisa. Not only has she lost someone close to her heart, but she’s also not given a chance to grieve properly.

Nqoba has always done whatever he had to do to protect Mandisa from his brothers, but now that he’s gone, Mandisa is left to fend for herself.

Moments later, Mandisa arrives at the mortuary with the police, armed with some important documents. Determined to have her way concerning Nqoba’s funeral, Mandisa won’t back down without a fight. Angrily, the Zulu uncle tells her that she is not a Zulu wife, so she has no say in what will happen regarding the funeral.

Mandisa whips out a document from Home Affairs proving that she is, in fact, married to Nqoba. She has the Zulu brothers where she wants them. Soon they realise they’re in big trouble with Mandisa and there is nothing they can do.

Nqoba is laid to rest on Mandisa’s terms

It’s the day of the funeral and the Zulu brothers are met with disappointment when they see the type of funeral that Mandisa has prepared for their beloved brother. Mandisa is convinced that this is how Nqoba would have loved to be celebrated. Not only is the funeral held at the taxi rank, but it also looks like a party with DJs and exotic dancers gyrating in celebration.

Not even Nkosana could stop Mandisa, as he arrived at the funeral and was in shock at the sight in front of him. He puts pressure on Mqhele to call the lawyer to sort out the mess, but unfortunately, there is nothing they can do to stop Mandisa. They have no choice but to attend the funeral and adhere to Mandisa’s way.

Ndumiso gives a heartfelt tribute and Mandisa exposes the Zulu brothers

Mandisa is not the only one who’s grieving a loved one. Ndumiso is also going through a hard time having lost his dad. Dressed up like his father, in his famous white suit, colourful shirt and his favourite hat, Ndumiso went onto the podium to deliver one of the most touching tributes to his father.

“Dad used to always say, ‘My boy, don’t get into the taxi business. Don’t ever become a taxi driver, my boy’. I’ll miss you, dad,” says Ndumiso. “You’d always tell me that you’d leave this comb to me. Now I just need to grow my hair out.”

Shortly after Ndumiso’s tribute, Mandisa takes to the stage to read a letter that she wrote for Nqoba. Hlomu joins her to help her read the letter. “Nqobizitha Zulu, my love. Today you’ve arrived at your final resting place. No words can describe what I’m going through. Your love knew no bounds. You loved me as I am. My ride-or-die, my everything, protector of my heart. I won’t even mention your love for fashion, my fashionista. Now I have no one. What am I going to do with your brothers?” reads Hlomu.

At this point, Hlomu stops reading as she notices something compromising about the brothers. She tears the letter apart and Mandisa decides to continue with or without the letter and leaves no stone unturned, exposing the Zulu brothers’ sins.

One thing is certain: Mandisa has suffered a lot under the hands of the Zulu brothers. Now that Nqoba is not around, she knows she has no one else to turn to. Did Mandisa just declare war on the dangerous crime family, a family she calls her own?

Watch the trailer of The Wife Season 3 episodes 7-9

Zikhona Sodlaka’s character Mandisa is already dealing with grief following Nqoba’s passing and this week’s episodes see Ndumiso’s mother fighting for what she believes in. It’s the beginning of a feud between Mandisa and her in-laws over who gets to decide on Nqoba’s funeral.

Whilst Mqhele and Hlomu are trying to keep things in the family together, Ndumiso gives a moving tribute to his late father. The first nine episodes of The Wife Season 3 are already streaming on Showmax, with new episodes landing every Thursday into 2023.

What to watch on Showmax

Stream the first episodes of Tali’s Joburg Diary, the hilarious third instalment of the first-ever Showmax Original, plus the critically acclaimed Showmax Original epic African fantasy Blood Psalms, with new episodes landing every Wednesday until 7 December 2022. Showmax also has Season 1 of Mzansi Wethu’s Suxoka, a reality show about polygraph tests, hosted by 2022 SAFTA Most Popular Presenter nominee Thembisa Mdoda. The crime drama Donkerbos lands on 29 November 2022.