Puo Pha Productions says unpaid cast, crew and suppliers of Tjovitjo will still be paid; says unpaid problem is its own and not the SABC's fault.

The independent black producers behind the new drama Tjovitjo on SABC1 has come out to say that is is not the public broadcaster's fault that cast, crew and suppliers have not been paid  - but its own - and that those who haven't been paid their money will get it.

Despite initial record ratings on SABC1 for the Sunday night show of 5.7 million viewers for the first episode in August that then levelled off, the show has been struggling to pay everyone involved in the making of it.

Puo Pha Productions in a statement says it's not the SABC's fault that people have gone unpaid and that they will still get their money due.

"The outstanding payment due to cast, crew and suppliers will be paid as per our communication to the affected parties, which we have been in constant communication with," says the production company in a statement. "The last communication was as recent as a week ago."

"Some of our cast, crew and suppliers are understandably upset about how this issue has affected their lives," says Puo Pha Productions.

The company isn't explaining why it hasn't paid people and where the money it received from the SABC has gone. The company is also not giving any payment date.

Puo Pha Productions says "a lack of funds" is preventing the "outstanding final payments to all those involved in the making of Tjovitjo".

Puo Pha Productions says "we'd like to upfront correct the misinformation that the delayed-payments are as a result of the SABC, when in fact the SABC have been the most supportive stakeholder of Tjovitjo."

"It has been more than outstanding and demonstrated incredible understanding to us as black independent producers. This is a relationship we want to grow and cement."

Pou Pha Productions slams the department of trade and industry (DTI) and its Black Filmmakers Rebate Scheme.

"Tjovitjo was a perfect opportunity for the DTI to truly empower small black business but it failed us".

SABC rips Zaziwa from its SABC1 Sunday night timeslot of 20:30 replacing it with Shaka Zulu reruns as it gets ready to launch pantsula drana Tjovitjo.

The SABC has abruptly pulled the ratings-battered magazine music show Zaziwa from its Sunday night timeslot of 20:30 on SABC1 to replace it with another old rebroadcast of Shaka Zulu, as the public broadcaster gets ready to media launch its new Sunday night pantsula dancers drama, Tjovitjo on Thursday in Johannesburg.

The once hugely successful Zaziwa was a SABC and SABC1 top-performer in the ratings on Thursday evenings until the SABC finally went through with moving it to Sunday nights in February this year after deciding to do it in October 2016 but scuppering the schedule change at the last minute.

Zaziwa's ratings plunged and now the SABC wants it gone from the 20:30 Sunday night timeslot following the new 20:00 drama Tjovitjo, going as far as rather scheduling the old Shaka Zulu drama for yet another repeat in prime time.

The SABC apparently plans to move Zaziwa back to a weeknight timeslot in a few months' time after the ratings-hemorrhage of more than a million viewers who abandoned the show.

On Thursday SABC1 will have a media launch in Johannesburg for Tjovitjo, produced by Puo Pha Productions' Lodi Matsetela and Vincent Moloi.

The gritty Tjovitjo filmed at Crown Mines outside Johannesburg, follows a struggling group of pantsula dancers and is the SABC's counter-programming answer for Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) successful iNumber Number drama that recently started in the 20:00 timeslot and that Tjovitjo will try and lure viewers from.

The 26-episode Tjovitjo stars Warren Masemola as Mafred, the leader of the struggling dance group in the Tjovitjo community with as cast that includes Rapulana Seiphemo, Tebogo Chauke and Harriet Manamela.

Strangely Zaziwa will no longer be the lead-out to Tjovitjo that could have helped it gain viewers, but has been removed to make space for the 10-episode reshowing of 1986's Shaka Zulu with Henry Cele in the title role.