When Gatsha Gumede, the patriarch of the Gumede & Associates law firm falls ill, it ignites a fierce power struggle for control of the firm he built from the ground up. 

As he lies vulnerable in hospital, the question becomes: will those poised to take over from Gatsha Gumede remain true to themselves or will they conform to his unscrupulous ways in order to gain his favour? And will he willingly relinquish control of his empire?

Veteran actor Nimrod Nkosi, who plays Gatsha, walks us through a more vulnerable and frustrated version of the formidable character in Law, Love and Betrayal Season 2.

Law, Love and Betrayal Season 2 airs new episodes every Sunday at 20:00 on Mzansi Magic and is available to stream on Showmax on Mondays.

Watch ep 1 promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p932G4cVcQQ

Let’s address the elephant in the room. How is Gatsha taking the sudden departure of Gugu in Season 2?

Gugu is gone. She has been disbarred and that is a major source of Gatsha’s anger this season. If you look back at Season 1, Gugu confronted him about why he never loved her and his response to that moment was poor.

His reaction is retaliation. He demands DNA tests to prove that she is truly his daughter. But deep down, Gatsha already knows the truth about his past and about being Gugu’s father.

He remembers how, 25 years ago, Gugu’s mother helped him after he had a punctured wheel on his way to the Black Lawyers Forum. Because of her help, he made it there, received an award, and that moment marked the beginning of his empire and legacy.

Now he is reminded that Gugu’s mother played a crucial role in his success, and he is haunted by the fact that he failed to step up as a father to Gugu. And now, all he is left with is Ayanda.

Speaking of Ayanda, will Gatsha ever give Ayanda the opportunity to prove herself in the firm?

The truth is that Gatsha really loves his children. Even when Gugu revealed that she was his child, it hardened him in some ways but also softened him. With Gugu, we saw glimpses of his vulnerability – with Ayanda, it’s a different situation.

His frustrations with Ayanda don’t come from a lack of love. Often, with the people we love the most, we end up hurting them the most. We also make the mistake of believing that because they love us unconditionally, they can carry the worst parts of us.

Ayanda hurt Gatsha deeply. He never imagined that his daughter would leave the firm but she did. And yet, in the same breath, she came back. This time around, she returns to take over the throne – but will Gatsha relinquish all that power to a daughter he hardly believes in? 

Why is Gatsha so determined to treat Ayanda like a second-class citizen?

In many ways, Ayanda is just like him. She is ruthless and strategic.

But Gatsha is also a Zulu man who believes in an old, traditional mindset – that it is the son who inherits the kingdom, not the daughter. In his thinking, a daughter will eventually marry into another family, while the son carries the legacy forward.

It’s an old-school mentality, and that is why he is so hardened toward his daughter.

Ironically, Ayanda is actually the one most capable of taking Gumede & Associates to the next level. She represents the vision and the next generation that could ensure Gatsha’s legacy survives.

But because of his patriarchal mindset, he cannot see the bigger picture. The truth is that not all sons are natural leaders. Some inherit power but squander it through gambling, recklessness or personal indulgences.

Ayanda, on the other hand, understands the vision. She carries her father’s surname proudly and possesses the leadership qualities to take the firm forward.

With Gatsha’s health taking a knock at the end of Season 1, do we expect him to loosen his grip on power in Season 2?Without giving too many spoilers, Gatsha in Season 2 is emotionally, spiritually and psychologically drained.

But even in his weakened state, he is desperate. He realises he is no longer in the powerful position he once held, and that vulnerability pushes him to use anyone and everyone if necessary.

He is irritated about being in a coma for so long. He is irritated that he now needs to be cared for. He is also deeply threatened by the rise of another law firm that could potentially challenge the first Black-owned firm he built.

He constantly questions whether the people around him are capable of protecting the firm –  whether they will resort to unscrupulous tactics or rely on their moral compass when things get difficult.

All of this frustrates him deeply. And in this season, betrayal hits him in a way he never expected. 

What was your approach to portraying a more intense and vulnerable Gatsha this season?

My approach was to internalise the loss of a father.

In Season 2, Gatsha struggles to ask anyone for help. So I imagined him as a man who secretly longs for the guidance of a father who was never there.

In many ways, Gatsha suffers from unresolved father issues. I imagined moments where he might want to cry out for his father as his world begins to collapse.

That helped me access the anger and pain within the character. The rage he directs at others isn’t always because they did something wrong – often it’s unresolved trauma from his own past that is playing itself out externally.

What do you think the other characters fail to appreciate about Gatsha?

At the end of the day, it is his firm. He chooses the cases. He does the underbelly work.

Gatsha operates in the very belly of the beast.

Many of the people around him are enjoying their monthly salaries and 13th cheques, but they don’t understand the dangerous deals and morally complex situations he has had to navigate to keep the firm alive.

Gumede & Associates stands on many of his sacrifices, some of which involve corruption and money laundering.

So yes, he often appears cold and angry. But that is because he is under enormous pressure, both from the outside world and from his own family.

With Gatsha facing betrayal on multiple fronts, who might come to his rescue?

Gatsha has pushed many people away over the years. He has even driven some people to psychiatric wards simply through the way he speaks to them.

So the real question is whether anyone, even his own children, will come to his rescue.

But Gatsha is always playing chess. And with chess, you never know whether he still has one final move left. A checkmate.