Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Mfundi Vundla says Vavi tried to intervene in actor strike

01/12/2014

Generations creator and director Mfundi Vundla had sleepless nights as he battled the stress of the strike drama around Generations three months ago. But the craziness and chaos have subsided, filming is on track and tomorrow night, after a two-month absence, the show is back on SABC1.

The director of the soapie has spoken for the first time about the strike and its impact on him .

He indicated that he refused to allow the striking actors to call the shots. After all, he is credited with creating the countrys top-rated daytime soapie and hed be damned if he would allow actors to call the shots.

I figured, let me just get them out of my life, he said.

The 68-year-old director said dealing with the strike was not easy by any means, at times it was actually scary. But he said that once the strike started, he knew he would have to get rid of the actors defying him.

After all that was being said about me, how do you go back and start working with people like them? he said.

On August 11, the actors who had demanded extended contracts were fired. They have since approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. The case is still before the commission.

The actors demanded exploitation fees covering royalties, compensation for reruns , payment for character-specific product placement and a standard industry pay hike of up to R30000 a week.

Vundla said he was harassed by Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula. It was chaos , said Vundla.

After the series was abruptly cancelled, Vundla went abroad to clear my head.

Upon arriving in Chicago, he became involved in a heated SMS exchange with Vavi.

He said the trade unionist demanded that they meet to discuss the sacked actors. That was not going to happen, said Vundla.

The last SMS Vundla wrote to Vavi read: Mr Vavi, I will not see you and kindly refrain from contacting me again.

He said most of his friends thought he had lost it when he took on Vavi.

But I was fighting for my show and this Vavi comes around and thinks he can f*** with my show. No way, that was not going to happen, shouted Vundla.

The director said he was accountable only to the commissioners of his show, the SABC, and the shows sevenmillion viewers.

He did confess, however, that he considered getting one of the 16 sacked actors back. He put out feelers to Seputla Sebogodi, who played villain Kenneth Mashaba.

I wanted Seputla back and I was having back-door conversations with his manager - and for a while I thought it was going to work out.

After a strategy meeting in the Magaliesberg, where we were rewriting the whole Generations, we made up our minds that having him back wasnt going to work, said Vundla.

With his new show set to start tomorrow on SABC1 at 8pm, Vundla revealed that he had been approached by numerous big-name actors, including Connie Ferguson, who plays Karabo Moroka, and Sello Maake Ka Ncube, who played Archie Moroka. Maake Ka Ncube did not make the cut because his character had been killed on the show years ago.

Vundla said he had worked for 20 years to build up Generations and Ill be damned if anyone comes along and destroys this.

Canning the show was never a consideration. My view was ... these 16 people walked into a show that was already successful anyway. They didnt build this thing.

They were too happy to jump into Generations, which was successful, and for them to think all of a sudden ngabo abayakhileyo leGenerations (they built this Generations), no ways, shouted Vundla.

http://www.timeslive.co.za
LINK: http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/mfundi-vundla-says-vavi-t...
See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines

09/11/2025

Dalet Unveils Agentic AI Media Workflows at IBC2025

Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...

03/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Inside the Sports Rights Landscape (and the new IMG) with Andrew Demsey, IMG SVP, North America Rights

SVG Sit-Down: Inside the Sports Rights Landscape (and the new IMG) with Andrew D...

03/11/2025

Challenging the Norm: How TNT Sports is Evolving Coverage of the Men's and Women's FA Cups With a Fresh Approach

Challenging the norm: How TNT Sports is evolving coverage of the men's and w...

03/11/2025

Inspired Storytelling: TNT Sports' Pete Thomas on Creating Opportunities Out of Challenges for the FA Cups

Inspired storytelling: TNT Sports' Pete Thomas on creating opportunities out...

03/11/2025

NBA 2K League Returns With New Format Featuring NBA Players, Creators, and Fans

NBA 2K League Returns With New Format Featuring NBA Players, Creators, and FansSeason will include online tournaments, in-person events, and open-ladder fan com...

03/11/2025

Live on the Water: The Rowing Channel Pulls Off Historic Production at Head Of The Charles Regatta

Live on the Water: The Rowing Channel Pulls Off Historic Production at Head Of T...

03/11/2025

L3Harris and ESL Labs: A Strategic Investment in Canada's Defence Future

Strategic partnership to expand specialized testing equipment, advance national security and support regional economic growth...

03/11/2025

How Will the FCC's Busy Fall Agenda Impact Broadcasters?

In less than two weeks during late September and early October, the Federal Communications Commission acted on two proposed rulemakings that could have an enorm...

03/11/2025

NAB's Josh Miely Named VP of Technology, Programming and Education

Josh Miely is returning to a more hands-on radio and TV role with the National Association of Broadcasters....

03/11/2025

All You Need to Know About MXL

Broadcasters have spent years trying to integrate different vendor technologies in their facilities. As the industry has moved closer to software, that struggle...

03/11/2025

The Battle to Protect Broadcast Content From AI Has Just Begun

As the malevolent siege against broadcasters' interests intensifies from the far reaches of artificial intelligence misuse to relentless innovation in the m...

03/11/2025

Gary Snow Plans to Retire From Wheatstone

Wheatstone founder and owner Gary Snow will retire from the company by the end of next year....

03/11/2025

Hybrid, AI Are Guiding the Measurement of TV Viewership

In ye olde days of traditional television, when U.S. TV viewing options were limited to ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, Nielsen's paper diaries were sufficient for t...

03/11/2025

Trailer & poster unveiled for Sky Original festive family feature film Tinsel Town

Monday 3 November 2025 To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. ...

03/11/2025

Rohde & Schwarz acquires open source intelligence specialist Munich Innovation Labs GmbH

Rohde & Schwarz acquires open source intelligence specialist Munich Innovation L...

03/11/2025

Rohde & Schwarz launches revolutionary super wideband mobile network scanner, setting new standard for 5G

Rohde & Schwarz launches revolutionary super wideband mobile network scanner, se...

03/11/2025

Nokia and Rohde & Schwarz collaborate on AI-powered 6G receiver to cut costs, accelerate time to market

Nokia and Rohde & Schwarz collaborate on AI-powered 6G receiver to cut costs, ac...

03/11/2025

A4ESSOR and OCCAR sign new procurement contract to advance development of interoperable tactical communication

A4ESSOR and OCCAR sign new procurement contract to advance development of intero...

03/11/2025

Sitep Australia joins Rohde & Schwarz team for Hunter class frigate communications

Sitep Australia joins Rohde & Schwarz team for Hunter class frigate communicatio...

03/11/2025

Famke Janssen Stars as Betty Jonkers in "Forever Pour Toujours" Music Video

Back to All News Famke Janssen Stars as Betty Jonkers in "Forever Pour Toujours" Music Video Entertainment 03 November 2025 GlobalNetherlandsBelgium Link c...

03/11/2025

Red Seat Ventures and The 33rd Team Announce Exclusive Sales Partnership

Red Seat Ventures and The 33rd Team Announce Exclusive Sales Partnership Red Seat Ventures to Spearhead Sales Representation for The 33rd Team's Dynamic S...

03/11/2025

Brand New RT Documentary Series Tonight New RT Documentary Series Trackers: The People v The Banks

They've made that decision and ruined an awful lot of people's lives. ...

02/11/2025

Space42 Expands Earth Observation Constellation, Foresight, with Launch of Three New SAR Satellites

Abu Dhabi, UAE November 2, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...

01/11/2025

Thunderbolt 3 and Symphony MkII

Thunderbolt 3 Now Standard on Symphony MkII - Starting November 11 Beginning November 11, all new Apogee Symphony I/O MkII units will ship with Thunderbolt 3 as...

01/11/2025

Expanding Symphony Desktop Using ADAT

How to Expand the Apogee Symphony Desktop with Cranborne 500ADAT Want to expand your Symphony Desktop beyond two inputs? Whether you're tracking a full drum...

01/11/2025

aconnic AG releases Half Year Financial Report 2025 and implements Change Measures

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has published the Financial Report for ...

01/11/2025

tvONE and Matrox Video Partner to Deliver Flawless AV-ove...

tvONE is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Matrox Video, combining CALICO PRO's high-performance video processing with the Matrox ConvertIP Ser...

01/11/2025

CJP Broadcast Joins Grass Valley Partner Programme to Str...

CJP Broadcast has joined the Grass Valley partner programme as both a Systems Integration Partner and AMPP Partner. The collaboration enhances CJP's ability...

01/11/2025

TAG Video Systems Earns Dual Recognition for ESG Initiati...

TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real-time visualization, has earned a higher-rated DPP Comm...

01/11/2025

Operative Announces New CEO to Drive Next Phase of Growth

Michael Napodano Appointed New CEO Of Operative Media Operative today announced the appointment of Mike Napodano as Chief Executive Officer, marking the next s...

01/11/2025

Cine Gear Expo Atlanta 2025 Success at Trilith Studios

Film industry professionals flocked to Cine Gear Expo Atlanta 2025 at celebrated Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, Georgia, on October 3 and 4. Back for its 6th ...

01/11/2025

Christopher Ross BSC and 300 Asteras Light the Border Cro...

Photo courtesy of Peacock and Sky Christopher Ross, BSC, began his cinematic obsession early. He cites reading Scorsese on Scorsese as a teenager with teaching...

01/11/2025

ITN, Magnite Launch New Private Marketplace for Local Linear TV

NEW YORK ITN and the sell-side advertising company Magnite have announced the launch of what they are billing as the industrys first Local Linear TV Private Mar...

01/11/2025

Netflix Unveils Operation Safed Sagar' at the Inaugural Sekhon Indian Air Force Marathon 2025

Back to All News Netflix Unveils Operation Safed Sagar' at the Inaugural S...

01/11/2025

Netflix Announces Partnership With Yash Raj Films, Bringing Iconic Bollywood Titles to the Platform

Back to All News Netflix Announces Partnership With Yash Raj Films, Bringing Ic...

31/10/2025

FanDuel Sports Network To Deliver Selected Live NBA, NHL Games to Major Streaming Services for In-Market Viewers

FanDuel Sports Network To Deliver Selected Live NBA, NHL Games to Major Streamin...

31/10/2025

NBC Jumps Out of the Gate in Extended Breeder's Cup Deal With Dual Drones, Jockey Cams, RF Super-Mo

NBC Jumps Out of the Gate in Extended Breeder's Cup Deal With Dual Drones, J...

31/10/2025

Tribute: Remembering Segomotso Keorapetse (28 May 1968 22 October 2025)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30 October 2025 It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Segomotso Keorapetse, an award- winning South African television d...

31/10/2025

Nexstar Extends Chairman and CEO Perry Sook Through 2029

IRVING, Texas As station groups move into an era that promises rapid tech, regulatory and economic changes, Nexstar Media Group said its board has extended chai...

31/10/2025

Late Night Thrives on Social Media With Billions of Views in 2025

While some analysts have questioned the ongoing economic viability of broacast-TV late night shows amid ongoing declines in linear viewing, new data from Tubula...

31/10/2025

Disney Programming Dropped From YouTube TV

The contentious contract negotiations between The Walt Disney Co. and YouTube TV have resulted in a blackout of Disney-owned programming on the pay TV operator....

31/10/2025

tvONE Integrates CALICO PRO Video Processing With Matrox ConvertIP Series

CINCINNATI Video conversion and AV signal distribution specialist tvONE and Matrox Video have struck a strategic partnership, combining CALICO PRO's video p...

31/10/2025

IAB Urges Standards for CTV Ad Measurement

NEW YORK The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released a new industry guide that discusses the urgency of adopting new standards that will help advert...

31/10/2025

Late Night Shows Thrive on Social Media with Billions of Views in 2025

While some analysts have questioned the ongoing economic viability of late night shows on broadcast TV amid ongoing declines in linear viewing, new data from Tu...

31/10/2025

Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Jim Lucchese

Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Jim Lucchese In his inaugural address, Lucchese shared an optimistic vision for Berklee's future as a for...

31/10/2025

Family, Food, and Films: Netflix's 'Dining with the Kapoors' Arrives November 21

Back to All News Family, Food, and Films: Netflix's Dining with The Kapoors...

31/10/2025

DPA 4055 Featured in Technologies for Worship Magazine

The review highlights DPA 4055 Kick Drum Microphone for its compact design, ease of placement, and authentic tone that captures the true character of the drum p...

31/10/2025

RT Raidi na Gaeltachta Award 2025 to be presented to Piln N Chiarin

The RT Raidi na Gaeltachta Award 2025 will be presented to journalist P il n N Chiar in at the Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow, Saturday 1 November,...

31/10/2025

Share the magic: RT lyric fm Choirs for Christmas Competition 2025 open for submissions

RT lyric fm is calling for choirs across Ireland to share their festive music-m...