Mapaseka Koetle who plays Dintle on Scandal! gives us the lowdown on her character.
Dintle is manipulative, deceitful and devious. And she’s got the Ngema family wrapped around her little finger. Only one person, Lindiwe, remains suspicious of her, and with good reason. Since she moved in with the Ngemas, Dintle has been telling lies and dodging clinic visits even though she says she’s pregnant. Is she hiding something? We chat to Mapaseka Koetle to find out.
Soon after she graduated with a Diploma in Acting for Camera from City Varsity, 24-year-old Mapaseka landed a role in a short film called Second Chances. She’s appeared on TV ads and she’s also played a lead in a play called Show Off which was shown at the Arts Alive festival in 2012.
Last year, she auditioned for a role inScandal! and was cast as Dintle making it her first soapie role.
Tell us about your character Dintle.
She’s still in high school. She’s failed twice, but she isn’t dumb. It’s just that her focus is on other things and not school work. She’s more interested in money and living a nice life. She’s very clever, she’s street-wise and she’s a go-getter. If she wants something, she’ll do anything to get it. She was raised by her aunts because her mother was never there. Dintle doesn’t know her father – her mother is one of those women who change boyfriends frequently. She didn’t care about Dintle and that’s why she behaves the way she does.
You say she’ll do anything to get what she wants, what does she want from Scelo?
For now she wants Scelo to play professional soccer. She knows soccer players have money. She wants the “Footballer’s Wives” type of lifestyle. She thinks Scelo’s plan to apply for a scholarship is a waste of time because it will take long before he makes money. So the shortcut is for Scelo to play professional soccer.
But they’re just dating, why does she think she will benefit if Scelo plays professional soccer?
It’s because of the baby. She’s gonna use the baby to trap him and be part of the good life that Scelo might have if he plays for a soccer club. You know some girls, when they get pregnant they automatically assume that the guy will marry them.
Dintle seems like she’s got lots of secrets, is she hiding something?
Yes, she’s definitely hiding something – it’s something big and it’s going change Scelo’s life. It’s something that’s going to show her true colours and prove that Lindiwe has been right all along.
Is she really pregnant?
Yes, she is. I know she’s been a bit dodgy about the clinic visits. She doesn’t want Scelo to go to the clinic with her. Her reason is that she doesn’t want people to gossip about her, but as the story unfolds you will see that it’s more than that.
Does she love Scelo or is she just using him?
I think deep down she does because she’s the one who initiated things between them.
Why didn’t Dintle’s aunts ask the Ngemas to pay damages instead of forcing her to live with them?
It’s because Dintle’s cousins are also teenage moms. Remember when they dumped her at the Ngema’s, Zinzile said that’s not how things are done, they will pay damages. But the aunt said that’s what happened with the cousins – she’s been waiting for damages until today, so she’s not going to play that game anymore.
Do you enjoy playing the character?
It’s fun. Even though she’s devious, she’s a fun character to play. It’s not that difficult to play the role because the story is not far-fetched. She’s one of those girls who most parents hate and wouldn’t want their kids to be friends with.
What should viewers look forward to in the coming months?
Drama and lies! She’s very lazy and she always uses her pregnancy as an excuse for not doing chores around the house. There’s going to be more of that. You can also expect more fights between her and Lindiwe. You see, Lindiwe is the only person who can see through her. Her true colours show when it’s just the two of them – she’s devious and full of drama. But when she’s with other people in the house she pretends to be this innocent girl.
Read about Scandal's teenage pregnancy storyline.
Catch Dintle on Scandal! Monday to Thursday at 7:30PM.
