On Sunday, 11 October 2015, Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) will be launching a
new drama, Ya Lla.
Ya Lla is a South Sotho word which means “A Far Cry’, an echo or a
distinctive musical sound made by an instrument.
Set in the dusty mining town of Welkom, Ya Lla is a story of how an
extraordinary young man takes control of what’s left of the once legendary
Marashea gang and tries to restore it to its former glory. It explores how a man can
rise from the bottom of the food chain, to a position of power and how that power
can become detrimental to everything he stands for.
Ya Lla is produced for Mzansi Magic by Quizzical Pictures, the cast is
made up of Zenzo Ngqobe (Palamang), Nkopane Mohola (Lenka), Nozipho
Nkelembo (Nala), Charmaine Mtinta (Captain Zwane), Sam Philips (Kobo), Slindile
Nodangala (Matron) and Realeboga Segoati (Puleng) to name a few.
The series opens with Lenka Moshoeshoe, arriving from Lesotho to take up
employment at the Harhoff Mine after his father’s death. He expects to find his
father’s job waiting for him, as promised by his “uncle’ Kobo, a veteran member of
the Marashea. Unfortunately for Lenka, the move is not what he expected it to be.
In the past, membership in the Marashea gang ensured a man a place of honour in
the mining community and access to the best jobs. Lenka however discovers that
the status of the gang is now so low that no job can be secured for him at the mine. In the midst of his struggle to get himself out of a hopeless situation, Lenka finds himself with more enemies; sells his soul for power and love becomes his
weakness.
“We aim to offer viewers something that will delight them, be it through the
exploration of the Sotho language or telling the infamous tale of the Marashea
Gang. This is the kind of drama that celebrates a cultural legacy and we hope that
the audience will be captivated by the genuine storytelling,’ says Nkateko Mabaso,
director of local interest channels at M-Net.
