After the SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kgangayo last month dabbled in vague statements, alluding that youth drama Skeem Saam woulda coulda move to SABC2 instead of giving informed, precise and accurate answers, it was revealed today that Skeem Saam never would have moved away from SABC1 ...
... while Generations The Legacy creator and executive producer Mfundi Vundla has the audacity to use words like "painful past" ... but ironically not in relation to him firing the principal cast.
Why the SABC continue with confusing double speak when real answers exist is anybody's guess, but the South African public broadcaster shamefully ended up exposed yet again today in head-shaking double speak.
While SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago last month said Skeem Saam could be moving from SABC1 to SABC2 after inhabiting the Generations timeslot where the show increased not the timeslot's viewership but its own former ratings, but that the SABC will see what happens, SABC1 channel head Maijang Mpherwane in a statement today said Skeem Saam would always have moved back to its former timeslot and definitely on SABC1 - no channel hopping was ever considered.
"As communicated from the onset, this was always a temporary arrangement which would see SABC1 reverting back to its normal schedule upon the return of Generations The Legacy and so we are confident that Skeem Saam will continue to do well for the channel on the weekday 18:30 timeslot," said Maijang Mpherwane.
Mfundi Vundla in the statement mentions "painful past" - but not in relation to the scandalous implosion that happened backstage at his own MMSV Productions soap.
"For a variety of reasons, some no doubt related to our painful past, our development as a people has been stymied. Generations The Legacy in its own way will address this issue," he says.
Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo return to Generations as Karabo and Tau while the fired 16 actors and industry veterans asked established actors to please heed the call and boycott the soap, MMSV Productions and the SABC and not work on the new Generations.
The new Generations The Legacy cast include Tau's sister Tshidi (Letoya Makhene), Gaddaffi (Vuyo Dabula), Jonathan (JT Medupi), Mazwi (Musa Ngema), Mary (Kopano Zimba), Lucy (Manaka Ranaka), Getty (Andisiwe Dweba), Angela (Lebogang Mthunzi), Smanga (Moopi Mothibedi), Namhla (Thulisile Phongolo), Cosmo (Ronnie Nyakale), Simphowe (Asanda Foji) and Gog'Flo (Ivy Nkuta).
"The absence of Generations on SABC1's schedule for the past two months was unfortunate and we would once again like to apologise to our viewers for the turn of events that led to the show taking a break," says Maijang Mpherwane.
