All is not well on the set of popular South African soap opera Generations with reports that almost all the soapie’s cast members have refused to sign their new contracts.
It is alleged that the soap’s popular and influential actors are not in good books with their boss executive producer Mfundi Vundla who they claim did not accede to their demands for wage increases and failure to extend their one-year contracts to three years.
The tension that is fast brewing has reached such unpalatable heights that the thespians have appointed an attorney, Bulelani Mzamo, to negotiate the matter on their behalf.
One wouldn’t have expected such drama to be part of a soap that is watched by millions of people across Africa.
More drama is expected to unfold as the actors return to their Auckland Park Johannesburg studios after a 14 day break.
Anything can happen when the unhappy cast meets with its leadership to try and solve and their outstanding differences amicably for the betterment of the popular soapie.
A high powered cast of popular actors and actresses that is up in arms with Vundla over contracts Sophie “Queen Moroka” Ndaba, Katlego “Dineo Mashaba” Danke, Menzi “Sbusiso Dhlomo” Ngubane, Anga “MJ” Makubalo, Thami “Senzo” Mngqolo and Xolisa “Jason” Xaluva.
When contacted for comment, Vundla confirmed the raging dispute, saying actors asking for longer contracts meant he would “abdicate my right” to write out “non performing” cast members.
The actors will most probably be infuriated by their boss’s statement that he has at his disposal enough episodes to go on without the actors clamouring for contracts, and would write them out of the show if the they fail to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
A member of the soap’s production team said the storm was brewed when the SABC’s acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng made the famous announcement during Generations’ 20th anniversary celebrations that the corporation had, for the first time, signed a three-year contract with Vundla’s company, Morula Pictures.
“The cast members jumped up and down with excitement when he made this announcement because they too expected to sign two- or three-year contracts,” the source said.
“But to their disappointment they were given one-year contracts with no increase in call-out fees. That is when they refused to sign,” he said.
The source said the actors have utmost respect for Vundla and wouldn’t want to have a harsh exchange of words with him that is why they decided to seek the services of an attorney.
“They are trying to avoid a situation where they will exchange acrimonious words with Vundla because they respect him and hold him in high regard.”
Advocate Mzamo confirmed that cast members approached him seeking for his services so that he deliberates issues with the soapie producers on behalf of the cast but was quick to dismiss allegations that there is a dispute between the two parties.
“If you are given a contract that has been drafted by an attorney to sign, you can get another attorney to check it for you so he can deliver the things that you want in it and exclude certain clauses that you don’t want in it,” he said.
Asked if the cast members would return to the set before an agreement could be reached, Mzamo said: “I just hope we will have a mutually agreed contract.”
He would not divulge details of which clauses were troubling his clients, saying it was a “privileged matter”.
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