On May 8 Muvhango viewers will bid farewell to one of its most iconic characters, Chief Azwindini Mukwevho, after 23 years.

This follows the heartbreaking scene on Friday that left viewers of the SABC2 soapie in shock after witnessing the chief being mercilessly gunned down by his cousin and adversary, Tenda (played by Nathaniel Ramabulana).

In Monday night's episode Azwindini will be finished off by Tenda, who is avenging himself against all who put him in jail.

In a statement shared with TshisaLIVE the actor, who has been with Muvhango since 2000, said his character will live forever.

“Life is a collective and well lived when it is shared. The chief of Thathe shall live forever,” he said.

The untimely death of the chief will leave the Mukwevho clan in shock and mourning and bring with it a wave of family drama expected to lead to chaos in the royal house. The royal family will be faced with the daunting task of navigating the aftermath of the tragedy, which is sure to be a challenging and emotional process.

Tenda's kidnapping of Susan (portrayed by Maumela Mahuwa) was the first domino in a chain reaction that ultimately led to the chief's death. After that Tenda tampered with evidence to frame Azwindini for Susan's disappearance. He then planned for Azwindini to be arrested, but police were taken aback when DNA evidence established his innocence and no warrant had been issued for his arrest.

This allowed Tenda to bring the chief into his presence before his ex-wife and the mother of his children, where he executed him ruthlessly.