by Thinus Ferreira
kykNET's Afrikaans reality series Kwarantyn, produced by Red Pepper Pictures, and broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service had an awkward end on Wednesday night when the Le Roux family ended up as the winners and were rewarded with the R250 000 grand prize after mom Jana was removed a month earlier for using a racial slur.
After 50 days the reputationally damaged Kwarantyn ended on Wednesday night with MultiChoice and M-Net's Afrikaans channels division giving the family money and rewarding them despite the fact that the family had a member removed from the show for using a racial slur.
In June TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice in a media enquiry whether Jana le Roux's remaining family in the show will still get any money, prizes, or derive any benefit from their exposure from being on the DStv channel and in the programme, and why MultiChoice didn't shut down the show.
MultiChoice was also asked what happens to the benefits that Jana le Roux and her family already received or might receive through MultiChoice by staying in the house and having been part of kykNET's Kwarantyn show.
kykNET and its division boss Karen Meiring were also asked questions separately about the show and its content after the racial slur incident but neither MultiChoice nor kykNET bothered to respond with answers to any of the questions.
MultiChoice and M-Net's kykNET awarding a family with money to the tune of R250 000 - when a member of that family used a racial slur on South African television that got the person removed from the show - creates an impression that MultiChoice and kykNET are rewarding discriminatory behaviour despite the pay-TV operator saying that it doesn't condone or support racism or discrimination.
To choose the winning Kwarantyn family, all the points won during the various challenges counted 40% of the big total, with the viewers' votes from DStv subscribers that counted 60%.
ALSO READ: MultiChoice's DStv in new racism scandal after Kwarantyn contestant uses 'K'-word racial slur in Afrikaans reality show; kykNET boss Karen Meiring calls shocking incident 'completely unacceptable'.
ALSO READ: South Africa's Human Rights Commission now looking into kykNET's disgusting Kwarantyn 'k'-word use, MultiChoice and kykNET not answering questions.
