While many fans of Gqeberha: The Empire are still dealing with the shock of the series being cancelled, it has emerged that the reasons behind the cancellation were deeper than just the ratings and viewership. ZiMoja can reveal that one of the main reasons why the much loved Xhosa telenovela was canned was allegedly because of mismanagement of funds.

ACCOUNTABILITY

According to ZiMoja sources, after the show was audited earlier this year, it was discovered that there were large sums of money that were allegedly embezzled and no one wanted to account. "We were all shocked to learn that some people have been misusing money for their own benefit instead of production," the source said. According to the highly placed source, bosses at Multichoice were not impressed with the findings. "With the show not doing so well and the money embezzled, they didn't see a need to continue, especially because no one wanted to account for missing funds," the source added.

ACTORS GOING FOR AUDITIONS

ZiMoja has also learnt that after the announcement that the show was coming to an end, some actors are already taking auditions and making preparations for moving back to Johannesburg for better opportunities. "There is already a new Xhosa show that is going to replace Gqeberha," added the source.

The announcement of the show coming to an end has been met with a sigh of relief from its viewers on X, as some feel that it's been long overdue and that the show overstayed its welcome. Multichoice CEO for General Entertainment, Nomsa Piliso, said she is not aware of any mismanagement of funds, let alone an audit. "It's disappointing that when a show ends there is always negative speculation," she said.