You can tell there would be drama as soon as you hear Meikie Maputla’s name. Actress Harriet Manamela, 53, claims that she frequently gets as shocked by her Skeem Saam character as she does by viewers.

 

 

 
Harriet says, “Look, she’s not all bad,” but she admits that Meikie is a lot.
The actress tells Drum that the story from the first season, in which one of her sons was involved in an accident that resulted in a man’s death, is her favorite one.

“That storyline was important because it showed how parents respond to situations that involve their children and how they, especially mothers, want to be like hens and cover their kids.Also, I thought the storyline between Meikie and Mokgadi (played by Pebetsi Matlaila) was also very important. A lot of young women find themselves in drama-filled relationships with their mothers-in-law,” she saidSpeaking of relationships, Harriet shares that she does have a partner, and God willing, she would like to get married again. She has been divorced for over 20 years, she reminds us.Her marriage lasted for six years and they had three children.
‘Oh, we were so young when we got married and we were just in love and went into it blindly.When I turned 40, I did a lot of reflecting and I saw there were things I should have done differently. There were times when I should have spoken up, but there were also times when I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“We were both really just starting our careers and trying to establish ourselves. I remember I was doing a lot of theatre at the time and I had to leave home in the evenings around 5pm because shows started at 8pm. That became an issue because I would leave him with the kids or take them to my family. I would be done in theatre around 10pm and because we didn’t have a car, instead of fetching the kids from my folksWith the gift of hindsight, Harriet says she would have done a number of things differently, and one of those would have been to communicate better.She tells us her daughter is 32, and they communicate openly and freely, something she didn’t do with her own mother.

“I would advise young married people or those who want to get married to use their parents and other family elders. Use us as much as possible. We are here for you.Your partner should be your friend and I am not saying you must not have your own friends, but your partner must be your friend so you can talk about anything.”

Harriet says being an actress has given her insight into others.She says viewers can look forward to more drama from her Skeem Saam character.