Muvhango, one of the oldest soapies in the country, might be buried at the end of July when their contract with the SABC comes to an end. This is despite the efforts to save the 28-year-old telenovela on SABC 2 last year.
FOUNDER ARRESTED FOR TAX FRAUD
In July last year, the show went off air for more than two weeks, with the SABC mum on the renewal of their contract. After weeks of uncertainty with actors frustrated over the loss of jobs, the soapie was saved at the last minute. The show even introduced new actors, with seasoned actress Leleti Khumalo roped in to bring star power.
Muvhango was created and produced by experienced media personality Duma Ndlovu who has created three other soapies -My Brother's Keeper, and Umkhokha: The Curse (Mzansi Magic) and Sibongile & The Dlaminis (Mzansi Wethu).
Ndlovu, a former journalist who spent several decades in the US in exile, was arrested and charged with fraud and tax evasion amounting to R25 million last year. Ndlovu and his two co-accused, Rodney Mutsharini, a registered tax practitioner (PIT), and Maxwell Mloyi, face fraud and tax evasion charges. Ndlovu is out on R100 000 bail, while Mutsharini and Mloyi were granted R50 000 bail each.
TAX MATTERS BEHIND NON-CONTRACT RENEWAL
A source said the SABC had given Ndlovu time to sort out his tax matters before they could decide whether to can Muvhango or not. "Duma Ndlovu has a good relationship with the SABC; hence, they were willing to give him a chance to sort his matters. Since he could not submit a tax clearance certificate to the public broadcaster, they did not have an alternative but to cancel Muvhango as well," said the reliable source. Mmoni Ngubane, Head of Communications at SABC 2, confirmed that Ndlovu's company was granted a one-year contract for Muvhango 2.0 last year. "The SABC can confirm that only one season of Muvhango is currently contracted and that the current contract is set to end on 31 July 2025. The SABC cannot comment on the future of the programme at this stage," said Ngubane. Word of Mouth spokesperson Thanduxolo Jindela declined to comment on the matter.
