Latest News Editor's Choice


Entertainment / TV Guide

Generations script irks Zimbabweans - #ZimBoycottGenerations

by Bongani Ndlovu
04 Mar 2016 at 05:47hrs | Views
THERE is an outcry on social media over the negative portrayal of Zimbabweans on South African soapie Generations the Legacy.

In the SABC 1 soapie, a snake called maMlambo and a black cock used to bewitch others are said to be from Zimbabwe.

The latest plot, which was shown on Wednesday, sees the character of Tshidi, played by Latoya Makhene, enlisting the help of a witchdoctor. Accompanied by her husband, Tshidi, who is desperate to succeed professionally and protect her family from bad luck, visits a witch doctor. She is bathed in herbs and blood before being given a Burmese python called maMlambo to keep in her house. As long as she follows the witchdoctor's instructions, the snake will apparently protect her against her enemies.

What has irked local viewers of the soapie is that Tshidi was this week advised to look for a black cock from Zimbabwe, where maMlambo is said to have come from. For some, this shows that even the South African writers do not have positive things to portray about foreigners.

Avid followers of the soapie are up in arms with Mfundi Vundla, Generations executive producer for portraying foreigners in bad light.

Many vented their displeasure on the show's Facebook fan page.

A disgruntled Vimbaishe Musvaburi posted: "Ok Generations writers, what're you saying about Zimbabwe? First, Cosmo's girlfriend says she's caught with drugs in Zim. Please, understand that drugs are not common at all in Zimbabwe and are nowhere near our list of problems.

"Secondly, the sangoma says his mentor is in Zim. Hawu bantu, witchcraft is not common either. God is very common and we don't mix God and rituals like other countries. And now it's the rooster from Zim, spare us please, we don't practise witchcraft and don't do drugs either!!"

"As a Zimbabwean I, feel insulted. You got your maMlambo in Zim, then now roosters? Please stop," posted Lisa Ablant.

Wrote Belinda Mupinga: "Don't include Zimbabwe in your satanism drama, we don't like it. Why didn't they say South Africa nxaaa Mfundi".

Nashie Mushore Achihera wrote: "So a foreigner is not a person?? Sh** what are they teaching? And that nonsense Sangoma mentioned Zimbabwe about that snake nxaaaaaa."

A hash tag, #ZimBoycottGenerations, urging Zimbabweans to boycott the South African soapie has since been created.

Apart from witchcraft, characters like Lucy have been blurting out some bigotry and xenophobic terms like "makwerekwere" and "inja" describing foreigners especially when referring to her daughter – Namhla's love interest Adzi who is from Nigeria.

Source - chronicle