An awkward end to kykNET's Afrikaans reality show Kwarantyn on DStv as Le Roux family wins the R250 000 grand prize after mom Jana was removed following her racial slur.

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.

South Africa's Human Rights Commission now looking into kykNET's disgusting Kwarantyn 'k'-word use, MultiChoice and kykNET not answering questions.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South Africa's Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is looking into the case where the now-axed contestant Jana le Roux uttered a racial slur in the kykNET-produced Kwarantyn Afrikaans reality show on DStv while MultiChoice and kykNET have so far remained silent on the matter and not answered any specific questions posed about it.

It took M-Net's Afrikaans channels division overseen by Karen Keiring a day to remove Jana le Roux on Friday evening after mom Jana le Roux on Thursday evening during a game of 30 Seconds used the offensive and derogatory "k"-word in Kwarantyn.

On Friday morning Karen Meiring told the media that what happened was "completely unacceptable".

kykNET acknowledged receipt of subsequent media enquiries and specific questions but haven't answered any and haven't held any media briefing about the incident.

This past Saturday morning kykNET - and after MultiChoice had removed Leon Schuster films from its Showmax video-on-demand service for a review of the comedian's use of blackface - went ahead with the broadcast of the 1954 Jamie Uys film Daar Doer in die Stad.

The film uses a racially offensive "H"-word, along with several other offensive terms - something that appears to be incongruous with MultiChoice and kykNET's public statements about not racially insensitive content and language in broadcasts.

MultiChoice and kykNET didn't terminate Kwarantyn but removed Jana with her husband and the rest of her family who continue to get public exposure and remain to compete as they try to win R250 000.

Kwarantyn is an Afrikaans reality show that MultiChoice and kykNET is running as a DStv pop-up channel, produced by Red Pepper Pictures from two adjacent Johannesburg homes populated by the white Le Roux and the coloured Scheepers families in each.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) has opened a case after it received complaints about the broadcast from DStv subscribers and is waiting for MultiChoice to respond.

SAHRC commissioner Andre Gaum told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that "the SAHRC is looking into the matter".

"The Constitutional Court has pronounced that they use of the 'k'-word amounts to hate speech. It is of great concern that derogatory expressions involving this word still appear to form part of some South Africa's vocabulary. South Africans should desist from using words that hurt others deeply and damage national unity and social cohesion."

"All of us should work together to undo deeply entrenched racist tendencies that unfortunately appear to surface every now and again".

MultiChoice previously responded to the media when the Randburg-based pay-TV operator said that it will no longer give the Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr a platform on DStv, and that it canned the second season of the kykNET show before broadcast of the Bolhuis show after audio recordings surfaced of the disgraced private investigator Mike Bolhuis using racial slurs including the "k"-word.

Since Friday TVwithThinus posed several questions to MultiChoice about the Kwarantyn incident.

A media enquiry was sent to Aprio (the PR company doing corporate communications on behalf of MultiChoice), Joe Heshu (MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs), Benedict Maaga (MultiChoice's senior manager for corporate communications), as well as Nthabiseng Serote (MultiChoice senior corporate communications specialist) and Ntabiseng Motsei (MultiChoice marketing communications specialist).

None have responded by the time of publication of this report.

MultiChoice was asked why the pay-TV operator chose not to immediately remove the Kwarantyn contestant or family after the use of the racial slur and why MultiChoice decided not to end the Kwarantyn show.

MultiChoice was also asked 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 programme, and why there was no on-air message from MultiChoice or kykNET on the Kwarantyn channel on Friday to apologise to viewers?

MultiChoice was also asked 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.

Since Friday kykNET and its division boss Karen Meiring have also been asked questions about its content and acknowledged the media enquiry but haven't provided any answers to the questions.

TVwithThinus asked kykNET why it removed a contestant from an entertainment reality show on Friday but then broadcast a film like Doer in die Stad a day after on Saturday that contains extremely offensive and racist words that viewers notice. kykNET was asked how this lines up with MultiChoice and kykNET's statements of being against racism and removing someone for it, but allowing it in other content the next day.

Ek het ook die rapport gelees en wonder stellig hoe @kykNETtv 'n vrou kan laat skors oor k-pak woord en dan saai hulle Saterdagoggend 'n Jamie Uys prent uit met 'n ge mies mies en baas baas en 'n hond met die naam h**n*t!? Hulle kon mos die klank geredigeer het?

— Morné van der Berg (@Mistermorne) June 28, 2020

kykNET was also asked why it decided not to end Kwarantyn immediately and why it chose not to stop the DStv pop-up channel and whether that was a consideration.

In the media enquiry, kykNET was also asked whether it's correct that the family of which mom Jana le Roux forms part, can still win R250 000, and if so, how this aligns with MultiChoice and kykNET's policy that people shouldn't benefit from discriminatory behaviour.

kykNET was also posed the questions of whether the families received any psychological counselling and if the Scheepers family was traumatised.

kykNET was asked why kykNET and Red Pepper Pictures decided to keep Jana le Roux on-air on Friday and showed her teary farewell and whether kykNET through that didn't make her into a sympathetic figure and someone that viewers are made to feel sorry for.

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: As even more Mike Bolhuis racist slurs from the kykNET reality star surface including him using the 'k'-word, MultiChoice says it is still considering 'the reinstatement of the show'.
ALSO READ: After MultiChoice canned racist Mike Bolhuis' TV show on kykNET the private investigator starts a belated apology tour pleading for forgiveness: 'I used these terms in anger'.
ALSO READ: MultiChoice canned the Bolhuis reality show on kykNET after investigator Mike Bolhuis used racist and derogatory language including the 'n'-word. 

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'.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and it's Afrikaans M-Net division have once again been engulfed by a racism scandal after a contestant in its Afrikaans Kwarantyn reality show broadcast on DStv shockingly uttered a racial slur on live television on Thursday night.

kykNET boss Karen Meiring on Friday morning in a video conference call with the media that was pre-arranged and supposed to highlight upcoming new content, cancelled the day's media briefing and told journalists that what "What happened last night in Kwarantyn is completely unacceptable".

"The Kwarantyn issue requires our full attention today. Unfortunately we have to postpone this because we have to take issue in terms of what happened last night and we have to handle that."

"It's really a serious issue for us and we will let you know the outcome. To sit with you for 2 hours honestly wouldn't feel right to me in terms of what is happening right now."

"Together we will, with all of these things happening in our society and the things we have to address as Afrikaans-speaking people in this country, together we will get through it. Today we have the responsibility to address something and we feel very, very serious about it and that is what we are going to do now."

So far there has been no official comment from MultiChoice or its Afrikaans M-Net division, or what is happening to Kwarantyn that runs as a kykNET-produced pop-up channel on DStv channel 149, or the contestant.

A contestant in the Red Pepper Pictures produced show uttered the "K"-word racial slur on Thursday night which broadcasts the Le Roux and Scheepers families living in two adjacent homes in Johannesburg competing for prizes with the first Big Brother South Africa winner Ferdinand Rabie as the presenter.

During an in-show competition on Thursday night - day 16 of the show that is supposed to stretch over 50 days - the 49-year old, "nice white mom" Jana le Roux uttered the derogatory and offensive "k"-word slur.

When her white family lost to the coloured Scheepers family, mom Jana le Roux exclaimed, "Wow, that's a k- beating!" in Afrikaans, as other contestants looked shocked.

By Friday afternoon kykNET has not decided to, or taken any action, to immediately remove Jana le Roux from Kwarantyn, and MultiChoice and M-Net failed to terminate the programme to show that it won't stand for racism or racist behaviour.

Jana le Roux has not apologised in any public statement.

kykNET in a terse statement Friday afternoon said that "Thursday evening in the programme Kwarantyn a racist remark was made that goes against the constitution, the spirit of the programme and kykNET".

"The channel apologises to everyone who has been offended by this. kykNET remains committed to a non-racial society, without discrimination."

"kykNET doesn't shy away from the responsibility to tackle and highlight historical and current complex issues. The situation requires decisive action and is managed with urgency," said Karen Meiring, the director of M-Net's kykNET channels in the statement.

South Africa's Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCCSA) told TVwithThinus on Friday afternoon in response to a media enquiry that it received three complaints, has opened a case over the Red Pepper Pictures produced show and is waiting for MultiChoice to respond. 

Unlike third-party acquired channels the Kwarantyn pop-up channel is produced by the Afrikaans channels section of MultiChoice's M-Net content division. 

"We received three official complaints and we are awaiting the broadcaster’s response," the BCCSA says.

UPDATE Friday 26 June 2020 17:00: Mom Jana le Roux is out and has been removed from the show, but MultiChoice and kykNET chose not to end Kwarantyn but to continue the show. The Le Roux family will continue to benefit from on-air exposure and could possibly win R250 000.

Mom Jana de Roux cut a (sym)pathetic figure on Friday afternoon as she cried with her family members on television and hugged her husband as kykNET continued to give her coverage and broadcast her family farewell moments.

Presenter Ferdinand Rabie said that Jana le Roux has been disqualified and is leaving the house.

The producers told Jana le Roux to leave the house at 17:45 on Friday late afternoon.

Earlier on Friday TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice, M-Net and kykNET specific questions in a media enquiry. By the time Jana exited there was no response yet on any of the questions.

Why has MultiChoice/DStv not immediately removed the Kwarantyn contestant and/or family who used a racial slur?

Why has MultiChoice/DStv/M-Net/kykNET not immediately ended/stopped the Kwarantyn show to show that it won't tolerate racism as the company said in the past and will this family still get any money/prizes/benefit/exposure from this DStv channel/programme?

Why has there been no intervention or counselling discussion with the Scheepers and/or Le Roux family?

Why is there no on-air on-channel message from DStv/kykNET to apologise?

What happens to the benefits the family/person already received/will receive through DStv and them staying in the house as part of kykNET's TV show?


UPDATE Friday 26 June 2020 17:45: Mom Jana le Roux leaves Kwarantyn after her on-air racial slur got her evicted from the show, with MultiChoice and kykNET that have chosen to keep the show going instead of terminating the reality series.

"Outside everything will be fine. Don't be worried about that," she tells her family as they all huddle and hug goodbye. "On the Lord," says mom Jana le Roux as she hugs her family goodbye. Then she walks.

"Outside everything will be fine. Don't be worried about that," says mom Jana le Roux after her on-air racial slur and getting evicted from @kykNETtv's Kwarantyn reality series on @DStv. "On the Lord," she says as she hugs her family goodbye. Then she walks: pic.twitter.com/BkYKbtMFQP

— TVwithThinus (@TVwithThinus) June 26, 2020

ALSO READ: As even more Mike Bolhuis racist slurs from the kykNET reality star surface including him using the 'k'-word, MultiChoice says it is still considering 'the reinstatement of the show'.
ALSO READ: After MultiChoice canned racist Mike Bolhuis' TV show on kykNET the private investigator starts a belated apology tour pleading for forgiveness: 'I used these terms in anger'.
ALSO READ: MultiChoice canned the Bolhuis reality show on kykNET after investigator Mike Bolhuis used racist and derogatory language including the 'n'-word.

Manie le Roux from kykNET's Kwarantyn removed from reality series and rushed to hospital with unknown illness and fever.

by Thinus Ferreira

One of the Afrikaans family reality stars on Sunday night abruptly exited one of the two camera homes in kykNET's Kwarantyn series after 12 days after developing a fever and unexplained stomach ache.

According to kykNET no further information is available yet about Manie's medical condition, although some viewers wondered whether it could be related to the Covid-19 pandemic as cases of this coronavirus keep rising in South Africa.

Manie (19) - a member of the Le Roux family who like the Scheepers family in another house next door are under constant camera surveillance in kykNET's Kwarantyn Big Brother-like reality series - is in a stable condition in hospital after he was removed from the show on Sunday.

On Monday morning the Red Pepper Pictures production team was informed that Manie is in a stable condition in hospital. According to dad Braam "Manie is okay, he is laying in a ward and is being monitored. He has an intravenous drip and is on pain medication."

The family members of both the Le Roux and Scheepers families were informed that Manie is in hospital and is remaining there for the time being.

Braam said that the house without the removed Manie "isn't the same without him. The vibe just isn't the same". When we received the message this morning our mood immediately improved because we thought that Manie is on his way back, but it quickly fell when we heard that he hasn't undergone tests yet.

According to Braam Manie first had pain in his upper body which spread to the lower half of his body. He became nauseceous, super warm and his blood pressure was high. This prompted the decision to rush Manie to hospital and leave the show.

An emotional mother Jana explained that she made Manie's empty bed on Monday and folded his clothes. "It's not nice. We're waiting for him but it's not lekker."

"He's a strong laaitjie, he doesn't get ill easily but if he needs anything I'm always there for him and this is the first time that I can't be there. Not even the production team can go in to see Manie. It's difficult. He's strong and I'm sure he will get better soon and we're waiting for him".

Kwarantyn is broadcast as a kykNET pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service on channel 149 with weekday highlight shows broadcast on kykNET (DStv 144).

kykNET's new Kwarantyn lockdown reality show will be a DStv pop-up channel from 10 June with highlight shows, as the Le Roux and Scheepers families compete under housebound camera-surveillance for 50 days.

by Thinus Ferreira

kykNET's Afrikaans Kwarantyn reality show will be a pop-up TV channel on DStv that will start on 10 June on channel 149, with two South African families - the Le Roux and Scheepers families - who will be spending 50 days under camera-house filled lockdown.

Kwarantyn, produced by Red Pepper that has experience with Big Brother Naija when it was filmed in South Africa as well as Nigeria, will broadcast live will launch on DStv channel 149 on Wednesday 10 June at 21:00 with the two families who will be competing for the public's vote and the chance to win R250 000.

The live broadcast pop-up channel will be preceded by a special hourlong Kwarantyn introductory episode on Wednesday at 20:00 on kykNET (DStv 144).

The Kwarantyn pop-up channel, launched during South Africa's national lockdown period for Covid-19 that is ongoing to try and curb the spread of the coronavirus, will be available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers.

Kwarantyn wrap-up and highlights shows will be broadcast on kykNET (DStv 144) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 17:00, with a special weekly edited 48-minute Kwarantyn wrap-up broadcast on the kykNET channel on Wednesdays at 20:00.

The Le Roux and Scheepers families will have to complete various challenges, tasks and DIY projects while remaining homebound after they move into a new home adjacent to one another.



"Not only will they have to live together as neighbours, but they will have to compete against each other by, among other things, trying to get more followers on social media and by trying to score points in a game’s night every evening," says kykNET.

"A family who completed a challenge successfully may also be rewarded with luxuries and other special perks. Strict rules will, however, apply in both houses. In the end, only one family will be crowned as the country’s most popular family."

Karen Meiring, director of M-Net's kykNET channels, says "Voyeuristic television has always been a fascinating concept for viewers and with our two dynamic Afrikaans families that we will be watching for 24 hours a day for 50 days".

"We look forward to excitement, entertainment, some emotional moments, new insights and surprises. We don’t know what to expect, but we are looking forward to what the families will be dishing up."

Here are more about the 2 families:

LeRoux

The father of this Centurion family, Braam Le Roux (50), wants to use the prize money to pay for his daughter’s wedding, if his family wins. He doesn’t get bored easily and enthusiastically describes himself as a fun-loving guy. 

His wife, Jana Le Roux (49), likes to laugh at her family’s jokes, but she firmly believes her families will emerge as the winners after 60 days because they have team spirit and zeal.

Their children, Lisa (25) and Manie (19), both loves winning, but they’re not bad sports or sore losers.
Lisa is engaged to Adriaan Brie (26), who will be living in the house with his in-laws-to-be. He loves pranks and says he isn’t scared of boredom because he has endurance.

Cousin Heinrich Olwage (25) completes the Le Roux family. He’s an innovator and problem solver, and he’s convinced his family will keep viewers on their toes.

Scheepers

The Scheepers is a composite family from Johannesburg. Mother, Avril Scheepers (46), and aunt Pamela Anthia Okkers (53) will lead this energetic family. Both are strong women convinced that their family will be victorious because they are talented, interesting and very funny.

Avril’s son, Austin Scheepers (19), believes that his bubbly personality will ensure that he makes friends with the neighbours although he is very competitive.

The Scheepers also consists of their extended family friends, the Hendrick sisters namely Kel-cee (20) and Jade (18) and refer to themselves as “the cousins!”.

Kel-cee Hendricks (21) is more of a quite type. She describes herself as “the person who prefers to watch and laugh.”
The Scheepers is complete with Caryn Cloete (21) – a withdrawn individual who likes to have space and who easily falls for her family’s pranks, but still loves them dearly.

The young Jade Hendricks believes that the Scheepers has the personalities that will entertain the whole country with their quirks and high jinks.


ALSO READ: South Africa's lockdown living becoming a new Afrikaans quarantine reality show Kwarantyn on kykNET looking for 2 families to live in camera-filled homes.

South Africa's lockdown living becoming a new Afrikaans quarantine reality show Kwarantyn on kykNET looking for 2 families to live in camera-filled homes.

by Thinus Ferreira

Lockdown living in South Africa is becoming a TV reality show with kykNET (DStv 144) that has picked up Kwarantyn as an Afrikaans reality series in which viewers will be able to follow the couped up exploits of two families.

In Kwarantyn - with no broadcast date yet announced - two quarantined families will get to live their house-bound lives on television similar to the Big Brother reality show.

Kwarantyn follows after the massive success earlier this year of a South African version of the format show Trap! Dis My Huis on VIA (DStv 147) produced by Afrokaans, which saw a gaggle of contestants forced to live together in a small 2-bedroom complex unit with a cash prize for the last one standing.

Now kykNET is looking for two Gauteng families - with all families who have to be older than 18 - who are willing to be filmed 24 hours per day with lives that are interesting enough to grab the nation's attention.

The families will be under "quarantine" and camera-surveillance for television for 2 months showing all the drama and intrigue of their daily living without being able to leave the home. The family that manages to win the hearts of the most viewers will win R250 000 as well as other prizes.

Gauteng families who think they've got what it takes will have to film a family video and send it on Whatsapp to 067 799 1444.