SABC 2 soapie Muvhango has reached the end of its era, with the last episode airing last night and still no contracts secured from the SABC. The soapie which has been on TV for 27 years, has also left actors uncertain about their future.
Last week, ZiMoja reported that the contracts were meant to be signed in March, which is the end of the financial year, but nothing happened. A source close to the soapie told ZiMoja that the SABC was not happy with the Muvhango storyline. "The SABC felt that Ndlovu needed to put more energy into the soapie. He has always held the SABC at ransom because of his political connections. He always argued that the Venda people did not have their show on TV and that they needed Muvhango. That's the reason why, for the past four years, the SABC has always delayed signing contracts with his company," the source said.
The source added that Ndlovu lost interest in Muvhango because he had long-term contracts with Mzansi Magic. "That's why the SABC executives decided to pull the plug on Muvhango," said the source. The source added that Ndlovu has a good relationship with Multichoice executives, where he has been offered long-term contracts. "Even though shows like Sibongile & The Dlaminis aren't doing well on Mzansi Wethu in terms of big numbers, his other show, Umkhokha: The Curse, is doing great," the source added. The source also said that Ndlovu is not worried about the canning of Muvhango as his new soapie, Modjadji: The Rain Queen, will debut in a few days on Mzansi Magic.
According to the source, the SABC was busy talking to the creators of Giyani, Tshedza Pictures, to replace Muvhango in its time slot. "Giyani is a good telenovela. It's the scenery, and the storyline is all about the Tsonga-speaking people. So, it makes sense politically speaking to have people from Limpopo have their show too," said the source. Word of Mouth PR manager Thanduxolo Jindela is in discussions with the channel to resolve the matter. "Our last episode aired on Tuesday, July 2. No further comments," Jindela said. SABC could not be reached for a comment.
