It started as fiction — actors dying on screen, emotional farewells, and scripts that tugged at the nation’s heartstrings. But when those deaths began spilling into real life, South Africans could no longer brush it off as coincidence.

Shona Ferguson’s on-screen death in The Queen was written as a dramatic twist, a storyline meant to keep viewers glued to their screens. Months later, he died in real life, leaving the country in disbelief. Then came Tsotsiactor Presley Chweneyagae, who, in another chilling instance, performed a ritual scene on television asking his ancestors to prepare a place for him. Not long after, he too passed away.
Now, fans fear they are watching the same eerie pattern unfold once again — this time with House of Zwide star Shalate Sekhabi, who plays Shoki.

In the show, Shoki’s life ended in tragedy. She was the beating heart of House of Zwide, known for her determination, warmth, and love story with Nkosi, the fashion house’s young CEO. Her final moments were gut-wrenching: a devastating car crash that left her fighting for her life.
According to the storyline, Nkosi was behind the wheel, speeding despite Shoki’s desperate pleas for him to slow down. The car veered off the road, crushing their dreams in an instant. Nkosi survived with only minor injuries — but Shoki was left in a coma, her body broken, her fate uncertain.
For two weeks, the Zwide family held onto hope. Fans flooded social media with messages praying for Shoki’s recovery. When she finally woke up, it seemed like a miracle. But her brief return brought even more heartbreak. In her final moments, she revealed that Nkosi’s reckless driving had caused the crash — a confession that shattered her loved ones and changed the course of the storyline forever.
Not long after, she slipped away, leaving her family — and viewers — reeling.
But this time, something strange began to happen. Fans began drawing eerie parallels between fiction and reality. “Every time someone dies on House of Zwide, something bad happens in real life,” one viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter). Another wrote, “First Shona, then Presley… now Shalate? I have a bad feeling.”
Some fans have even gone as far as predicting that the young actress herself could face tragedy in real life next month — a chilling prophecy that has spread across social platforms like wildfire. While others dismiss it as superstition, the theory has gripped viewers who can’t ignore the
uncanny coincidences that came before.
Behind the scenes, House of Zwide’s cast and crew are reportedly shaken by the intensity of the audience reaction. The production team has not commented on the predictions, but insiders say the show’s creative direction was never meant to stir fear — rather, to highlight the fragility of life and the consequences of choices made in the heat of the moment.
Meanwhile, the storyline has triggered a wave of emotions across Mzansi. Fans are mourning the fictional loss of Shoki as if it were real, flooding social media with tributes, edits, and emotional messages. Many describe her character as an inspiration — a young woman who fought for love and identity in a world driven by fashion, fame, and power.
But while House of Zwide dominates headlines, another drama, Amalanga Awafani, is stirring its own storm. In one of its most controversial episodes, Sabelo made the drastic decision to kidnap his own daughter, Nosi, so that her mother, Stha, could take her to Durban after her grandmother refused permission. The move divided viewers — some condemning Sabelo’s act as selfish, others calling it an act of love from a desperate father