7de Laan actors are distraught after the public broadcaster SABC forced them to stop working.
In August, it was announced that the soapie will wrap up when season 24 comes to an end in December. Now there may be no end to the show, which has been running since April 2000.
Danie Odendaal Productions announced on Monday that it has suspended production with immediate effect.
The announcement that staff should not return to work was made to the cast and crew members on Sunday morning, allegedly through WhatsApp.
Former 7de Laan actor director Denver Vraagom, who is also the husband to actress Ingrid Paulus, expressed his frustration with the lack of professionalism.
Paulus has portrayed the role of Vanessa, daughter of Charmaine Meintjies, since 7de Laan started over two decades ago.
Vinette Ebrahim, who was fired from the show in 2019 after playing Charmaine since the soapie’s inception, was infuriated on hearing the news.
She commented on Vraagom’s post: “Denver, I’m so sorry this is happening to you guys! This is disgusting! They can’t even pay you for the work that has been done? This is not all the SABC’s fault!
“They should have realized that this was going to happen ages ago, especially Francis being the line producer in charge of finances.”
Mimi Mahlasela, who plays the role of Aggie on the soapie, told Sunday World that the SABC financial struggles hamper not only her but the entire production.
“We now find ourselves not working, which means no pay. Even with our limited time to wrap production, we have to face these anomalies,” she said.
The soapie had viewers glued to the screens for the past 23 years and fans are distraught too. They have since started a petition that has garnered the support of many viewers.
Zooming in on the lives of those who stay in and around the community of 7de Laan in Hillside, a suburb, the soapie introduced much-loved characters such as Oubaas, Hilda, Charmaine, Aggie, Emma, and the Meintjies family who became household names.
Originally presented in Afrikaans only, 7de Laan has gone through many transformations reflective of a changing society through the introduction of various dynamic characters, storylines and languages from other races and cultures reflecting the rich diversity of South Africa.
Also Read: Curtain falls on 7de Laan after 24 years on screen
Mahlasela takes last bow as Aggie on 7de Laan
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