Fans were surprised and confused by the unexpected turn of the widely expected return of the redesigned serial “Muvhango” on SABC 2. According to ZiMoja, repeats of previous episodes were shown to viewers instead of the freshly produced episodes, which alarmed and confused dedicated viewers of the program.
The soap opera’s final new episode aired on July 2. Due to continuing contract discussions with the show’s production firm, Word of Mouth Pictures, owned by Duma Ndlovu, SABC 2 has been replaying earlier episodes ever since. This surprising decision was made in spite of the recent premiere of the remade “Muvhango,” which saw the addition of new cast members, among them the renowned actress Leleti Khumalo.
According to those with direct knowledge of the matter, “Muvhango” was not at blame for the delay. “Actors were shocked when the new episode was not played on Monday as promised,” a source revealed. An old episode was played. We were unaware of the situation and the rationale behind the non-airing of the new episodes. The production business allegedly sent its content to SABC on schedule, therefore many people were perplexed by the broadcaster’s choice.
According to a different source, the SABC was the problem. The broadcaster allegedly minimised the occurrence to control the issue, blaming the repeat of previous episodes on scheduling adjustments brought on by the Olympics. Things would have gone more smoothly if they had competed in the modern Olympics. However, it seemed a little odd to be watching an old “Muvhango” episode as work was being turned in, as one of the actors on the show remarked.
Word of Mouth Pictures representative Thanduxolo Jindela distanced the production firm from the controversy, saying, “Why don’t you call the SABC since it’s their platform or ask your source what happened?” before hanging up the phone. SABC2 publicist Caroline Phalakatshela acknowledged the schedule change because of the Olympics when contacted for comment, but she did not give a specific explanation for why the old episodes were being aired instead of the new ones. “We did notify viewers that we will be premiering a new season next week due to the Olympics,” she said.