'Unhealthy working relationship amongst Generations actors'

According to the SABC, Generations actors who are on strike will be axed if they don't report for duty.

SABC spin doctor, Kaizer Kganyago, said the actors will find themselves on the streets if they don't report for duty tomorrow.

"We're giving them a last chance to get back to work. If they fail to do so by tomorrow, we will definitely dismiss them," Kganyago warned.

"They told us they had not received our statement telling them to get back to work by Wednesday," he added.

Initially, the SABC gave the striking actors till last Wednesday to return to work or face the music but the date has been postponed after some performers claimed they never received the memorandum.

Since last October, the actors have been demanding three-year contracts and to be paid royalties and syndication fees for episodes of Generations that are broadcast in various countries worldwide.

Another demand is that the production company that produces the soap and the SABC should review their payment rates to meet industry standards and norms.

It has emerged that these issues have caused a hostile environment in the corridors at Henley Studios in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, as the actors who are on strike and those who want to work are no longer on speaking terms.

An actor, who spoke to Dailysun, revealed that payment issues are creating an unhealthy working relationship among them.

"Call actors are being called amagundwane (rats) because they want to work as they are not on a long-term contract with the soapie.
 
"People look at each other in a funny way and clearly you can see something is not right.

"One of the popular actors said those who aren't in support of the strike should be bliksemed as they are compromising them," a well-known lead actor who is also on strike reportedly said.

Some of the popular faces of the soapie who are on strike include Anga Makubalo (MJ), Atandwa Kani (Samora), Katlego Danke (Dineo), Mandla Gaduka (Choppa), Menzi Ngubane (Sibusiso), Nambitha Mpulwana (Mawande), Patrick Shai (Patrick), Slindile Nodangala (Ruby), Sophie Ndaba (Queen), Seputla Sebogodi (Kenneth), Thami Mnqolo (Senzo), Thato Molamu (Nicholas), Winnie Ntshaba (Khetiwe), Zenande Mfenyana (Noluntu), Zikhona Sodlaka (Priska) and Zolisa Xaluva (Jason).

Lawyer Bulelani Mzamo, who represents the actors, was quoted as saying: "It's a real pity that the SABC and MMSV Productions have consistently failed to meet their own deadlines and now seemingly choose not to deal with the cast's issues at all.

"They left actors little choice but to revive the strike," he said in a statement.

Generations is very popular and it earns the SABC a lot of money and draws a national average of around 7,5 million viewers on weeknights on SABC1.