After South African actress Mapaseka Koetle, who plays ‘Dintle’ on eTV’s popular soap opera Scandal!, was allegedly confronted and almost attacked at a mall, South Africans are beginning to doubt the boundaries between reality and fiction.
The story line in which Dintle “takes” Madlomo’s husband, Nhloso (character played by Kwenzo Ngcobo), is the source of the incident, which infuriated viewers who were unable to distinguish the actress from the story.
The 36-year-old Bloemfontein-born actress described the terrifying event on social media, describing how several people harassed her while yelling about the treachery that was depicted on film. “Why are South Africans like this?”, A popular post that echoed the sentiment said, “Mapaseka, who plays Dintle on #etvScandal, nearly died after being beaten at the mall as a result of ‘Fans’ deep emotional attachment to soap opera plots is brought to light by the confrontation, which transforms staged drama into actual dangers.
South African celebrities have previously been criticised for their roles. Actress Khabonina Qubeka had to seek police protection in 2017 after receiving death threats due to her character Thato on Rhythm City being involved in contentious plotlines.
Similar to this, in 2020, fans who were angry at Sophie Ndaba’s character’s choices verbally abused her, reflecting the fervour that occasionally devolves into harassment. These incidents celebrate the immersive power of local TV while highlighting the necessity for fans to discern between entertainment and reality.