M-Net shows lack of transparency in how it deals with allegations of on-set racism; doesn't want to release findings of investigation into Mzansi Magic's Ring of Lies incident.

M-Net doesn't want to release details of the now concluded investigation into alleged on-set racism on its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) Ring of Lies set, leading to questions about the pay-TV broadcaster's apparent lack of transparency in how it deals with on-set flare-ups of possible race-related conflicts.

An investigation has concluded after an ugly on-set fight on Tuesday at the Penguin Films produced Ring of Lies telenovela that cast members publicly slammed as racist, with actress Florence Masebe who called it a "horrible racist incident" and saying that "racism is out here dancing on out set".

Fellow cast member Dineo Nchabeleng on Tuesday called the alleged racist altercation "the 2nd incident we've had on the set of Ring of Lies today" and said that "we have been dealing with this bullsh*t since the beginning of the shoot".

After the ugly on-set verbal altercation between a director and art director during a day that allegedly also saw hot tea thrown in someone's face, M-Net and Penguin Films hunkered down to investigate the matter, without stopping production on the new boxing telenovela that's made for the pay-TV broadcaster's Mzansi Magic channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Amidst the lingering on-set tension and mounting pressure surrounding the incident and with Florence Masebe on Wednesday saying she stands by everything she said, at least one crew member has departed Ring of Lies.

M-Net, that said the Penguin Films investigation concluded on Wednesday.

M-Net is however not willing to say what the findings of the investigation are, whether racism was part of the on-set brouhaha, and what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence on Ring of Lies as well as on other local productions commissioned by, and produced for, the pay-TV broadcaster.

It's also come to light that M-Net didn't do its own independent investigation into the alleged racist on-set fight but is only working from what it was told by the production company.

Nondumiso Mabece, PR head of M-Net's local entertainment channels, told TVwithThinus that "the incident was between individuals that were contracted to Penguin Films and M-Net will not be conducting a further investigation".

Exactly a year ago in April 2015 after alleged on-set rape allegations in Big Brother Mzansi, M-Net CEO Yolisa Phahle said the broadcaster takes matters like this seriously and that the well-being of people who appear in M-Net productions is of the utmost importance.

Then M-Net hired a law firm to conduct what it called its own independent investigation and said that it was necessary for M-Net to understand what transpired.

The same didn't happen now for the allegations of racism on the set of Ring of Lies.

M-Net declined to answer specific questions in a media enquiry made on Thursday regarding the Ring of Lies investigation, how it was handled, its outcome, and how cast and crew members are protected when they publicly make serious allegations, like about racist on-set behaviour.

I wanted to know why M-Net wants to keep the details of the concluded investigation secret and how M-Net sees its responsibility, or lack thereof, to viewers and the South African TV industry regarding regarding allegations of racism on the set of one of its TV shows.

I asked M-Net how the pay-TV broadcaster can be sure, in general, what it is being told by a production company when it doesn't conduct it's own investigation into a serious allegation like for instance an allegation of racism on-set.

I asked M-Net what it makes of cast members, like for instance Florence Masebe, who spoke out publicly and raised a serious issue and how cast and crew members working on a show like Ring of Lies are protected when they make allegations regarding things like possible racism on-set.

M-Net declined to answer any of these questions.

Nondumiso Mabece said M-Net believes that the statement it issued on late Wednesday addressed the questions.

That terse two sentence statement said: "The investigation has been concluded and one of the independent contractors opted to terminate their contract. The incident was between individuals that were contracted to Penguin Films and M-Net will not be conducting a further investigation."

Ring of Lies crew member gone and contract terminated after alleged 'horrible racist incident' on the set of Penguin Films and M-Net's telenovela for Mzansi Magic channel.

The nasty on-set fight that took place on Tuesday on Penguin Films and M-Net's new telenovela Ring of Lies for its Mzansi Magic channel on DStv, has seen its first casualty over the alleged "horrible racist incident" with at least one crew member now gone.

Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) tells TVwithThinus that at least one crew member's contract who worked on the new Penguin Films produced soap has been terminated.

It follows after the show's art director was not suspended but no longer working on Penguin Films' Ring of Lies set since Wednesday after being involved in a nasty verbal altercation on the show's set on Tuesday.

The alleged on-set racism came to light when the frustrated and furious Ring of Lies actress Florence Masebe on Tuesday went public with the on-set conflict behind the scenes, saying that a crew member allegedly told the show's black director "I can speak to you anyway I like because I'm white".

Florence Masebe said "racism is out here dancing on our set" and fellow actress Dineo Nchabeleng who called it "the 2nd incident we've had on the set of Ring of Lies today" on Tuesday, said that said "we have been dealing with this bullsh*t since the beginning of the shoot".

Penguin Films and M-Net executives have been shocked by the alleged on-set racism at Ring of Lies produced for M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Penguin Films' Roberta Durrant said it has a policy of zero tolerance to any form of discrimination on any of the Penguin Films sets and Mzansi Magic said it strongly condemns any acts of discrimination.

Penguin Film's investigation into the ugly on-set fight concluded on Wednesday but so far M-Net and Penguin Films have not released the findings of the investigation while Mzansi Magic viewers are wondering what fueled the alleged racist incident.

Mzansi Magic confirms that at least one crew member is now gone from Ring of Lies, telling TVwithThinus that "one of the independent contractors involved opted to terminate their contract".

Production on the show continues uninterrupted and Penguin Films and Mzansi Magic continue to engage with the cast and crew. Mzansi Magic says it wants Ring of Lies to be a "empowering working environment for all involved".

"Mzansi Magic and Penguin Films have stressed that they do not condone discrimination of any kind, and are committed to ensuring that this is enforced on all productions in which they are involved.

The incident - the second in just over a month after starlet Mbali Mlotshwa in late March claimed alleged racism on the set of the SABC's 7de Laan soap on SABC2 produced by Danie Odendaal Productions - is raising questions in South Africa's local TV industry.

The Ring of Lies incident would not have come to light if Florence Masebe didn't put her own reputation on the line to publicly call out the verbal fight as a "horrible racist incident" that has put pressure on M-Net and Penguin Films to act immediately.

On Wednesday Florence Masebe said she stands by everything she's said.

Hot tea allegedly thrown in crew member's face during alleged 'horrible racist incident' on Mzansi Magic's Ring of Lies set; art director off the show, meeting set for Friday.

Hot tea was allegedly also thrown in someone's face and Penguin Films has now removed but not suspended the art director involved in an alleged "horrible racist incident" on the set of Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) new telenovela, Ring of Lies, that's apparently become a hotbed of race conflict.

The alleged tea throwing happened during an ugly verbal altercation yesterday that became so nasty and allegedly racist that it compelled frustrated and furious actors like Florence Masebe and Dineo Nchabeleng to speak out about it publicly.

M-Net and Penguin Films started an urgent investigation after actresses on the show, Florence Masebe and Dineo Nchabeleng yesterday publicly came forward about alleged racism on set with Dineo Nchabeleng who said "we have been dealing with this bullsh*t since beginning of shoot."

Florence Masebe decided to publicly voice her concern, "saying racism is out here dancing on our set".

Dineo Nchabeleng called it "the 2nd incident we've had on the set of Ring of Lies today."

Florence Masebe allege that a crew member told the black director "I can speak to you anyway I like because I'm white."

It's now come to light that during the ugly on-set spat, witnessed by cast and crew, hot tea was allegedly also thrown by someone in a crew member's face. On Wednesday Mzansi Magic declined to respond over this allegation.

On Wednesday Florence Masebe however said she stands by everything she said on Tuesday when she called the on-set conflict a "horrible racist incident".

Reports now surfacing that the art director was suspended is however wrong, with Mzansi Magic's Nondumiso Mabece, PR head of M-Net's local entertainment channels, telling TVwithThinus today that the art director has not been suspended by Penguin Films but is not working on the Ring of Lies production anymore while an urgent investigation is underway.

Although cast and crew are tense, Ring of Lies production is however ongoing on the boxing telenovela that started at the beginning this month on Mzansi Magic that's one of the M-Net produced and packaged channels for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

I understand that an urgent meeting with the Ring of Lies cast and crew has been scheduled and while it was set for Thursday it has been moved to Friday.

Veteran South African TV producer and creative producer and director at Penguin Films, Roberta Durrant, tells TVwithThinus that "Penguin Films have a policy of zero tolerance to any form of discrimination on any of the Penguin Films sets" and that Penguin Films takes the alleged racism incident seriously.

"The verbal altercation was between the director and the art director and we are investigating the incident and are taking all steps to sort it out."

The allegations of racism by Ring of Lies cast members comes just over a month after starlet Mbali Mlotshwa in late March claimed alleged racism on the set of the SABC's 7de Laan soap on SABC2 produced by Danie Odendaal Productions.

Mbali Mlotshwa, who've jumped to a role in Sokhulu & Partners produced by Paw Paw Films, said publicly that she suffered racial abuse on the 7de Laan set and that "racial slurs happened on set with people I thought were educated and open-minded".

The SABC ordered an urgent investigation but has not shared any findings.

BREAKING. Serious allegations of 'horrible racist incident' rocks M-Net and Penguin Films' new Ring of Lies series on Mzansi Magic as actors vent.

Serious allegations of racism are rocking Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) new series, Ring of Lies, with frustrated and furious cast members slamming the M-Net and Penguin Films show over on-set actions.

The veteran and respected actress Florence Masebe took to Twitter on Tuesday slamming Ring of Lies, saying "racism is out here dancing on our set".

"I can speak to you anyway I like because I'm white." This is what a crew member just said to our director who is a black man," said Florence Masebe, calling it "a horrible racist incident".

"I can speak to you anyway I like because I'm white." This is what a crew member just said to our director who is a black man.

— Mme a Masakona (@FloMasebe) May 10, 2016

Fellow Ring of Lies actress Dineo Nchabeleng added her voice, saying "we have been dealing with this since the beginning of the shoot. We will not continue to work until it is sorted".

We have been dealing with this bs since beginning of shoot. We will not continue to work until it is sorted https://t.co/eRTUnpEuQb

— Dineo Nchabeleng (@dineo_nchbeleng) May 10, 2016

"This is the 2nd incident we've had on the set of Ring of Lies today and still we are meant to continue working!? What is happening?!" she said.

This is the 2nd incident we've had on the set of #RingOfLies today and still we are meant to continue working!? What is happening?!

— Dineo Nchabeleng (@dineo_nchbeleng) May 10, 2016

In response to a media enquiry about the Ring of Lies incident, Mzansi Magic tells TVwithThinus that the M-Net produced channel for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has been in contact with the Ring of Lies cast and production company Penguin Films regarding the incident that took place on-set involving two production crew members.

"An investigation is being undertaken and appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that the situation is resolved," says Nondumiso Mabece, PR head of M-Net's local entertainment channels.

"Mzansi Magic and Penguin Films strongly condemn any acts of discrimination and encourage a fair working environment based on mutual respect".

Veteran South African TV producer and creative producer and director at Penguin Films, Roberta Durrant, tells TVwithThinus that "Penguin Films have a policy of zero tolerance to any form of discrimination on any of the Penguin Films sets".

Roberta Durrant says Penguin Films take the Ring of Lies matter seriously.

"The verbal altercation was between the director and the art director and we are investigating the incident and are taking all steps to sort it out."

Actress Florence Masebe is respected in the South African TV industry and when she deliberately, publicly calls something a "horrible racist incident" and says "Racism is out here dancing on our set" she is putting her personal reputation on the line to draw public attention to something she feels strongly about and wants people to know about.

It's not clear yet how the Ring of Lies actors who spoke out about alleged on-set racism on Tuesday will be protected from possibly being victimised in whatever way or possibly bulldosed into silence about the matter and what they perceived happened.

Not clear yet is whether people will be suspended, but Mzansi Magic says in response to a media enquiry that "the production has not been interrupted".

The allegations of racism by Ring of Lies cast members comes just over a month after starlet Mbali Mlotshwa in late March claimed alleged racism on the set of the SABC's 7de Laan soap on SABC2 produced by Danie Odendaal Productions.

Mbali Mlotshwa said publicly that she suffered racial abuse on the 7de Laan set and that "racial slurs happened on set with people I thought were educated and open-minded".

The SABC ordered an urgent investigation.