Plot
Lindiwe owns a mine, marries a police commissioner, and has two children. Mine foreman Thato Mokoena finds a $45 million diamond in the river that runs through Refilwe. Lindiwe murders Thato, places the diamond in her mine, and covers up the murder. Zweli's daughter, Nomonde, becomes Lindiwe's enemy.
Malefu Mokoena struggles to raise her children after her husband's death. Her oldest son, Thuso, is in and out of jail. Her adopted daughter, Tumi, marries Lindiwe's nephew Zolani Dlamini. Lindiwe employs Tumi at Khanyisa Diamonds. She tries to steal land in Refilwe, but Tumi foils her.
Malefu tells Tumi that she was adopted. Tumi divorces Zolani, who reveals that Lindiwe killed her father. Tumi and her new boyfriend, Lindani, return to the Dikana mansion. Tumi learns that Lindiwe is her biological mother; she is kidnapped and buried alive by Lindiwe, who knows that Zolani told Tumi about Thato's murder. Lindiwe finds Tumi's message, and attempts suicide. Lindani rescues Tumi, who files charges against Lindiwe; Lindiwe is imprisoned and acquitted.
Christo tells Zweli about Lindiwe. Zweli asks Lindiwe for a divorce, and orders her to leave with Zolani. Mbali abuses drugs; Nomonde becomes CEO of Khanyisa Diamonds, and Zweli becomes a company shill.
After rescuing Mbali, Zweli tells his children about Lindiwe. Cobra and Paulina contest an interim ward election. Percy and Oupa rig the election in Cobra's favor, and Cobra invites Paulina to join the council.
Lindiwe resurfaces in her childhood Refilwe shack, powerless and abandoned. Tumi sets her shack afire; Zolani rescues her, and Sis Flora takes them in.
Cobra uses his position corruptly. Nomonde struggles to keep the mine afloat, juggling her relationship with Lindani. She begins looking for a new CEO. Gail Mathabatha (Mary Ann Barlow) is hired, and soon begins a romantic relationship with Zweli. Lindiwe kills her on their wedding day.
Zweli (now in a wheelchair) asks Lindiwe to marry him again. Tumi and Lindiwe reconcile and Tumi marries her childhood sweetheart, Lindani.
Thuso, Percy, and Oupa steal Lindiwe's diamonds, and Thuso gives them to Lindani to hold. Lindani tells his friend Charlie about the diamonds; Lindiwe and Zolani torture Charlie, go to Lindani's house and find the diamonds. When Lindani enters, Lindiwe shoots him.
Tumi and Mbali overhear Lindiwe and Zolani celebrating, and Tumi tampers with the brakes of Lindiwe's car. Mbali takes her mother's car, and is killed.
Zolani finds love with Emma. She realizes that he is Lindiwe's employee; they break up, and he reconciles with Lindiwe.
Cobra's ex arrives with their son, Morena. Morena steals from the townspeople, but Cobra does not believe them. Andile's boyfriend Njabulo returns with a friend, Mondli. Mondli and Njabulo begin a relationship, and Andile breaks up with him. Andile attempts suicide, and he and Njabulo reconcile. Mabutho and Tumi begin an affair, and Andile learns about it. Tumi ends it, and leaves her and Lindani's bedroom. The Dikanas and Lindani see her, and Mabutho admits that he and Tumi are in love. Emma returns, pregnant with Zolani's baby, and Zolani proposes to her.
Mohumi, Lindiwe's ex and Thato's friend, seeks revenge. He and his rebels hold Lindiwe and her family hostage and want to kill Tumi, but Lindiwe tells Mohumi that he is Tumi's father.
Tumi visits Mohumi after his arrest, and Lindiwe tells Detective Tshabalala to bug the room. Tumi tells Mohumi that she killed Mbali. Lindiwe goes to Mohumi's prison cell and admits killing Happy, Sheree, and Gail. Mohumi records her, sends Tumi the recording and tells her to post it on social media. Tumi shows Lindiwe the recording.
Zolani and Emma marry. Tumi, in a helicopter, wants to reveal Lindiwe's crimes at the wedding. Lindiwe tries to talk her out of it; she and Tshabalala drive to the helipad and she shoots at the helicopter, which explodes with Tumi inside it.
Elvis coerces Lindiwe to marry him, and Zweli has a letter as insurance. Zolani shoots Elvis, who is wearing a bulletproof vest and asks Zweli for protection.
Cobra is arrested. Zweli investigates Tumi's death, and Cobra is released. Lindiwe kills Elvis with a poisoned condom. Zweli learns that Lindiwe killed Tumi, and meets Nyakallo (Sis Flora's niece); they marry, but Lindiwe kills Nyakallo and they reconcile. Nomonde and Mabutho starts to date. The Dikana's family is unaware of it while Nomonde is also oblivious of Mabutho's real identity. His identity come to light. And they reconcile. Andile and Njabulo get married. While Emma and Zolani's cousin begin an affair, Lindiwe warns Emma and aims her with a gun. Mohumi steals and attempts to sell Lindiwe's mine, while the community of Refilwe becomes aware of Mohumi's doings. Thuso collaborates with Lindiwe to get rid of Mohumi. In a helicopter, Lindiwe aims the gun at Mohumi to sell and transfer the mine all back to her. Lindiwe expels him from the helicopter and he drowns the sea. Mohumi dies.
Season 5 begins with Nomonde and Mabutho's wedding. The Mokoenas have moved to the new house. Mnqobi comes and wants to have an affair with Lindiwe, Zweli suspects it. When Lindiwe realises Mnqobi's intentions she attempts to kill him. There's a new family in town. The Hlophes. Bukhosi, Nomafu, Mlilo, Nkanyiso and Khwezi. And wants to dethrone and eliminate Lindiwe. Thuso marries both Paulina and Angelina in a polygamous marriage. They both become pregnant. And both go to labour. When Angelina realises that her son is dead, she swaps the babies and make it seem as if Paulina gave birth to a still born child. Paulina goes nuts and suspects that Angelina is involved in her child's death. Paulina vows revenge against Cobra and the whole family where she drowns the baby in the pool. Nomonde comes back and fake pregnancy with twin babies, with an attempt to obtain the Dikana family's money. Paulina 's presumed baby is buried. Zweli finds out that Nomonde is faking her pregnancy. Zweli discovers that Mabutho has been involved in the heists and claim that he can't marry Nomonde. Mabutho injures him unintentionally. Zweli becomes comatose. Lindiwe vows revenge against Mabutho and hunt him down. Paulina also finds out that her son is actually alive and run away with him. Both Paulina and Mabutho are on the run and being hunted down by the police. Paulina asks her other cousin to take Jr. Thato and make DNA tests with him and they come back positive claiming that Paulina is the biological mother. Paulina goes and confronts Angelina, that's whereby they fight for a gun and Paulina dies. Mabutho is caught by Lindiwe and Zolani, in defense he accidentally shoots Zolani and he dies. Lindiwe is distraught.
Zolani is buried and Zweli demands divorce from Lindiwe claiming that their family is finished. It started with Mbali, Tumi then Zolani.
Zweli leaves and Lindiwe is smitten by her childhood friend Bangizwe Zwane. Khwezi goes into labour and delivers Zolani's baby. The Hlophes attempt to kill Lindiwe by throwing her into the tank dam but she's rescued. Andile slowly learns Lindiwe's crimes that she may have been involved in Tumi's murder. Lindiwe and Bangizwe get married. Jr. Thato bleeds and Cobra has suspicions that he might be Paulina's baby. The DNA tests results improve that Jr. Thato is indeed Paulina 's biological son. Angelina is arrested. Zodwa takes Jr. Thato to KZN and raise him. Nomonde returns and learns that she is no longer welcome at Lindiwe's house. She feels entitled and is rude to everyone. Finally she and Lindiwe makes peace. Lindiwe's mother come back (Thandeka). Lindiwe's childhood trauma comes back and tries to kill her. Dimpho finds out that Lindiwe is planning to take Refilwe community 's money and release the document online. That's where she learns about all Lindiwe's dark secrets. Tshabalala kidnaps both Dimpho and Beauty, trying to burn them alive. They are saved by commissioner Zweli Dikana.
Zweli returns and arrests Lindiwe for all she has done. By killing Happy, Thato, Sheree, Gail Mathabatha, Mosa, Tumi, Nyakallo,Mohumi The Hlophes and others.
Lindiwe is arrested. Flora is distraught when she learns that Lindiwe is responsible for Mosa, Happy and Nyakallo's murder. Lindiwe is still paying for her sins as she is haunted by Thato and Tumi's ghosts. With Tumi taunting her that her fate has changed as everyone she was close with they have left her and some died. Bangizwe asks Lindiwe if she was involved in killing Tumi her own daughter but Lindiwe denies first but later agrees. Bangizwe fakes Lindiwe's death. Refilwe community and the Dikanas prepare for Lindiwe's funeral. Lindiwe comes back on her own funeral roasting everyone that this is not how her story ends. She and Cobra fight for the bomb and die. The miners finds a huge diamond at Khanyisa Diamonds mine. Kedibone, Dimpho and Flora call it "Thuso ya Refilwe". Ending The River
Series overview:
Season 1: 29 January 2018 - 25 January 2019
Season 2: 28 January 2019 - 24 January 2020
Season 3: 27 January 2020 - 05 February 2021
Season 4: 08 February 2021 - 04 February 2022
Season 5: 07 February 2022 - 03 February 2023
Season 6: 06 February 2023 - 02 February 2024
Stars:
Season 1: Presley Chweneyagae; Moshidi Motshegwa
Season 2: Sindi Dlathu; Larona Moagi
Season 3: Presley Chweneyagae, Lawrence Maleka and Larona Moagi
Season 4: Tina Mnumzana and Tsholofelo Matshaba
Season 5: Hlomla Dandala, Presley Chweneyagae
Season 6: Sindi Dlathu, Siyabonga Thwala & Presley Chweneyagae
