Mzansi Magic's new drama series, The Herd, with Sello Maake ka Ncube, looking at life's sacrifices with a supernatural twist.

M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel is adding a new 13-episode drama series, The Herd, starting on Sunday 8 July at 20:00 that will revolve around a man sacrificing his soul for love and a better future with a supernatural twist.

The Herd, produced by Seriti Films, will follow Bhekisizwe Mthethwa (Sello Maake Ka Ncube) who was fired 28 years ago from his job at a butchery due to his leg injury and who then went to consult a witch, MaMngadi (Winnie Ntshaba) who promised him a bright future in return for a great sacrifice as a desperate Bheki tries to provide for his wife and baby.

In the present Bheki is married to MaMngadi with three more children, Muzi (Sparky Xulu), Nkosana (Paballo Mavundla) and Dumazile (Cindy Mahlangu) with Bheki who has to choose the successor to his cattle business that leads to sibling rivalry.

"Sacrifice is at the heart of many human stories, particularly when looking at the family structure. It’s the man’s responsibility to take care of his loved ones and sometimes the pressure of supporting the family can drive a man to the edges of darkness, says Reneilwe Sema, M-Net director of local entertainment channels. "The Herd is essentially about that: the sacrifices we make for love."

Also part of The Herd cast are Zethu Dhlomo playing the tough and gifted gunslinger, Lwandle; Sihle Ndaba as Bheki’s golden child, Kayise; Tiisetso Thoka as the Mthethwa’s leading herdsman, Dingane; and Peter Mashigo as the troubled alcoholic, Magubane.

Is Scandal! actor Sello Maake ka Ncube getting paid for the multiple use of his likeness and photos shown in SABC1's reset Generations?

Is actor Sello Maake ka Ncube getting paid for the multiple use of his likeness and photos of him shown in SABC1's reset Generations?

Sello Maake ka Ncube portrayed the character of Archie Moroka for years in the soap before he moved on to e.tv's Scandal! to become one of South Africa's highest paid TV stars.

Generations has now been reset to Generations The Legacy and returned to SABC1 on Monday night for the first new episode with a new cast.

It followed the implosion of the soap behind-the-scenes of the MMSV Productions show which saw the soap shut down and grinding to a halt following a strike by the principal cast which saw the 16 actors fired for demanding their promised three year contracts, better pay rates and residuals which they've never received.

It's not clear whether Sello Maake ka Ncube is getting paid or will be paid for the multiple use and inclusion of his photos in Monday night's first new episode.

Sello Maake ka Ncube actually indicated that he wasn't and isn't willing to return to Generations, although creator and executive producer Mfundi Vundla says it was him who approached Sello Maake ka Ncube to return and then decided to drop him during the later planning stages for the new soap.

The same goes for the image of actor David Phetoe - his likeness and photo also appeared in Generations The Legacy where he played the character of Paul Moroka for years. It's not clear if he is getting paid for that appearance.

Several American TV actors who've left TV shows on a bad footing are notorious for in the past having forced producers to blur out or crop out their images and photos when they've refused consent to appear in episodes - or were simply not happy with the money offered to make a new "appearance" although just in a photo or a "backflash".

The most notorious is of course Shannen Doherty's whose face was blacked out of the finale of Beverly Hills, 90210 when she refused that she be seen - even in an old cast photo.

Generations' real legacy: Actors Sello Maake ka Ncube, Pamela Nomvete refuse to return to SABC1 and Mfundi Vundla's new Generations.

Stalwart actors Sello Maake ka Ncube who played Archie and Pamela Nomvete who played evil Ntsiki both say they refuse to return to SABC1 and producer Mfundi Vundla's reset Generations ever again and that they won't be "sellouts" like Connie Ferguson and Rapulana Seiphemo.

Just like when he fired the principal cast of Generations and Mfundi Vundla held a press conference, followed by the cast, with both sides saying completely opposite things, now again someone is blatantly lying - with totally opposite stories.

According to Sello Maake ka Ncube, currently appearing in e.tv's Scandal! after years in Generations as Archie Moroka and now one of the higest paid actors on South African television, he rebuffed attempts by Mfundi Vundla to lure him back to the show.

Yet today in a press conference about the new Generations starting tonight on SABC1 and relaunched as Generations The Legacy, Mfundi Vundla said it was Sello Maake ka Ncube who approached him, and offered to return to the soap, and that it was Mfundi Vundla who rejected Sello Maake ka Ncube's  offer because the character of Archie Moroka was killed off and Generations is "not a fantastical show, we can't bring people back from the dead".

Yet Sello Maake ka Ncube says he doesn't want to be on Generations out of solidarity with the TV industry and established actors who are siding on the part of the fired actors and who are refusing to be on the show.

Pamela Nomvete who was on the soap for 6 years is as vocal according to reports, saying "I wouldn't go back to Generations" and that South African actors "are still exploited to this day. There is a lot of suffering in our showbiz industry".

Pamela Nomvete also sides with the actors who were fired by MMSV Productions and the SABC for wanting better 3 year contracts and better pay rates from Generations similar to the other SABC soaps and those on e.tv.

Pamela Nomvete says "actors are miserable and I hope this is going to be a turning point in our TV industry".

BREAKING. Hunger protest against SABC ends.

You're reading it here first. Actor Sello maake ka Ncube has ended his fasting and with that the Hunger Protest that was started by fimmmaker Michael Lee 3 months ago.

I was first with the news here that Sello has joined the Hunger Protest by drinking only diluted marula juice (the others drank apple juice).

The Hunger Protest started 3 months ago when Michael Lee stopped eating in an attempt to draw attention to the SABC's lack of transparency regarding MASSIVE local TV content cuts.

''We're still watching. The protest is not over. For the moment let's call it a strategic retreat,'' Sello said about the end of The Hunger Protest.

BREAKING. Sello Maake ka Ncube joins hunger striking action against SABC.

You're reading it here first. I'm breaking the news here first, but in a few hours the Hunger Coalition (with their blog here) will make the dramatic announcement that the renowned actor SELLO MAAKE KA NCUBE has joined the hunger strike fight against the SABC.

There is a press conference at 12:00 and later in the day I will bring you a wrap-up and update on what happened.

The protest started almost two months ago now, when director/producer Michael Lee, stopped eating as a way to demand transparency and partnership from the SABC and especially to highlight the threatened slashing of local content. He reached a month before he started eating again.

Michael handed over to six other protestors. Five stopped short of their original vows of 21 days, including the student producer and director of a documentary about the protest but some are going, new ones like Sello are joining and giving continuous momentum to their cause and keeping the spotlight on the SABC's local commissioning and budget cut woes.