It’s 9pm in Addis Ababa, 8pm in Johannesburg and 7pm in Port Harcourt. Mondays to Fridays – from Ethiopia, down south and back up again to Nigeria – fans of the biggest South African television phenomenon have been tuning into SABC1.
Here at home, Generations has been a key reason why the channel has occupied the top of the ladder since the public broadcaster restructured its offerings in 1996.
The original local smash hit is watched by almost the entire number of South Africa’s 7.8 million TV households, which broadcast signal distributor Sentech says is a penetration of 72 percent of about 10.9 million total households.
Further north, the channel falls under the ambit of DStv, helping to make “Mzansi fo sho” one of Multichoice’s tastier options in a number of African countries. And so this week’s high-level scandal over the firing of 16 cast members has been a continental topic, which took an immediately political edge after the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) put out an infuriated press release on Wednesday.
That edge drew sharper when, soon afterwards, a release came from the Department of Arts and Culture containing Arts Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s concern over the termination of contracts. He effectively supported the actors.
Although #BringBackTheGenerations16 played cheekily off #BringBackOurGirls, the campaign to help free the children captured by Boko Haram in Nigeria, it has trickled through Twitter.
The hashtag may have been supported by an entity as influential as Cosatu, but there was more activity around the @GenerationsSA handle, where users lashed out particularly at producer Mfundi Vundla. Viewer Lelo M tweeted: “@MfundiVundla @GenerationsSA. It is now over, I am divorcing you until you bring back all my angels.”
Others suggested a boycott, while some went for chutzpah, asking when auditions for the roles occupied by the axed 16 would be happening. Top stars Sophie Ndaba – who has been part of the show for its 20-year duration – and her Scandal colleague Florence Masebe, didn’t react to that, but were particularly vocal on the rights of creative workers on Twitter.
Yet this week’s open letter from the Generations Actors Guild – whose members first went on strike in October – attracted much attention on social media, with the cast explaining: “We live in a country that is notorious for artists living and dying in a state of poverty… never managing to earn what is their due.
“We have made a decision, as dedicated professionals working on South Africa’s most successful TV show, that we will not be part of this painful statistic.
“There is no reason, whatsoever, that we should live as ‘struggling actors’ when our show generates an incredible income for the production house and broadcaster.”
The ANCYL is admittedly engaging in as many publicity-raising exercises as possible as it prepares for its first elective conference since the days of Julius Malema. Generations, with its massive audience, is a surprisingly crafty linchpin. The League raised the stakes for the actors when it called on the SABC to reinstate them, pay better wages and sort out their royalties.
This, and the statement from Mthethwa, come of course against the backdrop of the internecine war over controversial SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Internal criticism was said to have followed Communications Minister Faith Muthambi’s decision to appoint him, despite recommendations from Public Protector Thuli Madonsela that he be replaced after an investigation into his qualifications and conduct.
That backdrop makes the party and ministry communiques all the more interesting. There was nothing there that said either supported the SABC. But it’s also important to remember that the department of arts and culture and the minister have been tasked with social cohesion and delivering employment. So Mthethwa couldn’t afford to hedge his bets.
“For over a decade, Generations has contributed to job creation and provided opportunities for local talent to be acknowledged and recognised,” he said.
“This has highlighted the quality of talent that exists in the country, and thus saw Generations enjoy the support of many television viewers for whom it has become part of their lives.”
Mthethwa then addressed the vitality of the “creative economy” in growth and development, echoed by Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula on Twitter.
Mbalula tweeted: “You can’t just dismiss people en masse when they demand more pay. This is super exploitation.”
ANCYL task team convenor Mzwandile Masina, who is also deputy minister of trade and industry, spoke after the body this week met the 16 cast members and discussed their dispute with the public broadcaster and the producers.
Masina described “a highly untransformed” creative arts industry to The Star, saying even the basic requirements of the Labour Relations Act were not implemented.
The actors want three-year wage contracts, which is what beleaguered mineworkers at Lonmin won. Masina somewhat gratuitously embraced the actors’ firing as part of the league’s living wage campaign, even though the Generations cast may seem to occupy a different class component.
But although the ANCYL was stretching its radical speak, the actors had righteous complaints, saying promises – including better salaries, royalties and syndication fees on episodes broadcast in other countries – had not been met.
Rates had apparently been agreed upon with the producers, but actors say the SABC stalled.
Conflict continued behind the scenes and from there, it was an apparently straightforward trajectory: the actors went on strike when demands weren’t met; they were given an ultimatum to be on set on Monday morning, or be axed; they didn’t show up, and they were dismissed.
Once the political expediency around Generations has been depleted, however, the issues around the rights of creative workers will remain. In his statement, Mthethwa has said his department was “willing to engage with all the relevant people to help find a speedy and amicable resolution to this matter”.
The ANCYL can also be held to its demands for improved employment conditions and benefits, Masina having said: “Our talented actors are still battling to receive UIF, pension funds, housing allowances, car allowances, medical aid and all other benefits that decent work is supposed to cater for.”
Using the leverage of the Department of Trade and Industry, he shook the fist for decent wages.
Contract battles like these are not uncommon in the US, where one of the biggest strikes happened in 2007 when the Writers Guild of America, a union representing about 12 000 movie, TV and radio writers, refused to work for three months.
Just last week, Big Bang Theory stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco scored shiny new three-year contracts after their protracted negotiations pushed back the show’s season eight start date. The trio’s contracts are now worth $1 million (R10.7m) an episode – substantially up from the $300 000 of before.
But even as the three stars signed, Variety was reporting that actors Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, who had pushed hard for salary parity, had been made a take-it-or-leave-it offer. They were told their characters would be written out of the series if a deal could not be reached.
It’s a cautionary tale. The SABC and producer Vundla may well have their backs against the wall, as the soap-like suspense and treachery play out. But the actors’ script is far from finished.
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The background to the saga
The issues: The Generations Actors Guild says that in November last year, MMSV Productions agreed to meet a new set of rates, provided the SABC supported the proposed normalisation of salaries. To no avail.
The SABC responded that it would like some time to review the proposed rates, and said it would revert in March. Then it requested an extension to July. When the July deadline elapsed, no response was forthcoming from the public broadcaster.
The cast meanwhile honoured the SABC’s request to return to the set.
Their contracts stipulated they were owed certain fees whenever Generations was sold to an international broadcaster. They have never received these royalties or syndication fees.
The cast also wants a three-year contract as the shooting schedule leaves little time for them to pursue other professional opportunities. – Taken from the Generation Actors Guild’s open letter
The cast: Anga Makubalo (MJ), Atandwa Kani (Samora), Katlego Danke (Dineo), Mandla Gaduka (Selwyn), Menzi Ngubane (Sbusiso), Nambitha Mpumlwana (Mawande), Patrick Shai (Patrick Tlaole), Slindile Nodangala (Ruby), Sophie Ndaba (Queen), Seputla Sebogodi (Kenneth), Thami Mngqolo (Senzo), Thato Molamu (Nicholas), Winnie Ntshaba (Khetiwe), Zenande Mfenyana (Noluntu), Zikhona Sodlaka (Priska) and Zolisa Xaluva (Jason)