by Thinus Ferreira
SABC2's Sesotho telenovela Lithapo is the next South African local TV production that has been forced to shut down after a Covid-19 positive case has been identified among the production staff.
Lithapo filmed at Fleet Street Studios in Ferndale, Johannesburg shut down on Friday 26 June and will be closed until at least 6 July, after the show shut down temporarily two weeks ago for a few days also over alarm around Covid-19 but one which turned out to be negative. Production resumed a week ago just for the shutdown to happen on Friday.
Lithapo is produced by Quizzical Pictures for SABC2. Quizzical Pictures' other how - the weekday soap Rhythm City on e.tv - is also shut down because of positive Covid-19 cases.
SABC2 spokesperson Lebo Malete told TVwithThinus that Lithapo "has shut down since Friday 26 June until further notice".
"The production house is currently following all protocols and measures that are in place. Once all has been completed, production will restart. The producers will advise when production will restart. SABC confirms that there will be no break in transmission ensuring viewers will still enjoy Lithapo."
M-Net's The River produced by Tshedza Pictures on 1Magic (DStv 103) was the first show to shut down because of a positive Covid-19 case after South Africa's film and TV industry reopened following the extended national lockdown period. The River is once again filming.
After The River, Skeem Saam on SABC1, and Word of Mouth's Venda series Muvhango on SABC2 have both been forced to shut down because of positive Covid-19 coronavirus cases.
They were followed last week by SABC2's 7de Laan on SABC2 produced by Danie Odendaal Productions, as well as both of e.tv's weekday soaps Rhythm City produced by Quizzical Pictures and Scandal! produced by Ochre Media - all three of them filmed at Sasani Studios in Highlands North in Johannesburg.
Lithapo producers on Thursday last week informed the cast and crew in an email to "kindly note that we won't be shooting tomorrow, Friday 26 June, due to one of our crew members who has tested positive for Covid-19".
Lithapo crew and cast have bee instructed to self-isolate at home.
The shuttering of a growing number of TV series comes after the entire South Africa film and TV industry abruptly closed in late-March for the national lockdown period which has seen the already-struggling industry shed thousands of jobs in the two months that cameras were turned off and studio doors closed.
