UPDATE: ‘We are stranded’ say Uselwa actors

There seems to be no end in sight to the drama plaguing SABC’s new historical Zulu drama Uselwa as actors on Saturday claimed they were “stranded” in Eshowe at Shakaland where the series was being filmed.

The revelation came after they were evicted from the Shakaland hotel rooms where they had been staying in.

The drama reached boiling point on Friday when three senior managers from the public broadcaster were told by cast and crew that they could not leave Shakaland until workers have been paid.

READ MORE: Tense stand-off on TV set as crew detain SABC bosses

City Press first reported on the meltdown last Sunday when the shoot was stopped amid claims of abuse and embezzelement of production funds by first-time producer Mkhomazi Mashinini, who has denied and queried the claims.

READ MORE: Meltdown on set of SABC drama Uselwa

The SABC on the other hand seems to be blaming him for the actors’ predicament.

“We don’t have transport money, we have no per diem and we have not been paid. We are stuck while the SABC says there is nothing they can do for us as it is a weekend,” said one of the actors who was among the now destitute cast and crew of Uselwa on Saturday.

Most of the cast and crew are believed to be from Johannesburg and were now “trying to make their way back home either by bus or taxi”.

An SABC manager later sent the cast and crew an email saying the broadcaster would be paying for transport to Johannesburg for cast and crew as well as their expensive equipment.

The cast and crew have still not been paid their outstanding salaries, however, the email said that payment would happen next Friday.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the SABC managers were not sent to the set to pay the actors. “We were there to gather information to find a solution to the problem. [The managers] never went carrying money. The SABC does not pay actors, we pay production companies who pay actors.”

He also told City Press that the SABC had stopped paying the production company “because we pay on the basis of delivery”.

Kganyago said “our decision on the production will be made as fast as possible” but it looked likely that “we have to terminate the contract and sign a new one with another producer”.

One of the actors affected by the shocking allegations on the Uselwa set, Ferry Jele, yesterday took to social media and penned an open letter to Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa, SABC CEO Chris Maroleng and Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.

Jele lamented the producers’ treatment of the cast and crew: “How does anybody with a conscience begin to subject professionals, people who are making an honest living to this. How do you get people out of their home, with no money to pay them. We are talking about men and women who have families, kids to support and homes to run.”

In the letter Jele says she was baffled by the fact that “the very same line producer Megan Firth” who is “notoriously known by the SABC for conducting such sloppy businesses to production houses still got hired” to produce this drama.

According to Jele, “just last year she [Megan] did the same thing to another production which until today has not seen the light of day”.

Firth vehemently denied Jele’s accusations, saying: “Firstly I want to deny these allegations with the greatest contempt. I find the accusations slanderous.

“To the reference of the other production, Ms Jele was not hired on that production nor has she worked with me before this; yet she is given the platform to make baseless allegations. It renders the comments as defamatory, irresponsible and deplorable.”