SABC2's Venda soap Muvhango, Word of Mouth Productions, the cast and the SABC are jointly rubbishing tabloid trash reports that the Muvhango cast was striking.
While reputable media didn't touch the fake story, tabloids foamed at the mouth to "report" the fabrication.
It prompted the SABC, the production company and the actors to unite against the slanderous accusations.
"We were surprised as the Muvhango cast around the media reports that there was a strike looming. I can confidently state there is no strike; it is business as usual," says Sindi Dlathu, the Muvhango cast representative who portrays the role of Thandaza.
Earlier this year SABC2 finally added a Friday Muvhango episode on weekdays at 21:00, with the 15 year old soap now running five days a week, a year after the SABC made the announcement that Muvhango will add another episode per week.
The production, the actors and the SABC is making it clear that at no point was there a strike or one intended at Muvhango. "There is a good relationship," says producers Duma Ndlovu and Mmamitse Thibedi.
"This year has been amazing for Muvhango as a brand," says Duma Ndlovu. "The team, being the cast and producers, are focused on working on bigger and better stories. We appreciate the SABC for increasing the broadcasting of the programme from 4 days to 5 and our working relationship with the SABC has never been better".
The SABC's famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who met with the Muvhango cast, says the soap "is one of the SABC's biggest properties".
"We are dedicated to improving the lives of workers and as the SABC we have given production houses three year contracts and we are encouraging these production houses to provide their full-time actors with 3 year contracts," says Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
