Duma Ndlovu’s production company, Word of Mouth Pictures, has been exposed once again.
Word of Mouth Pictures has produced several TV dramas, including Umkhokha: The Curse.
This time, former Umkhokha: The Curse actress Angel Zuma, who played Nomkhosi, left no stone unturned on her podcast, The Real Angel Zuma. She spoke out, saying she felt free to do so since the drama series was coming to an end.
New big role started the problem
“Everything was fine until I landed a role in The Lion King. I resigned and gave the production a 30-day notice. I thought they’d be happy for me because I had been with them for so long and had never caused any problems. But all hell broke loose — the bosses couldn’t pretend anymore,” she said.
“He told me he owned me and that he would destroy my acting career. I was shocked because this is someone who has been in the industry for so long. He has opened doors for many people, yet now he was threatening my career and my future,” Zuma recalled.
She said that while she was serving her notice, the writers gave her character, Nomkhosi, a major storyline.
“They wanted to make it impossible for me to leave. Five days before my last day, I realised I had over 200 scenes to shoot. Nonetheless, I left Umkhokha: The Curse, but the following Monday, they called me, saying I hadn’t finished shooting.
Called to return for shoots or lose her pay
“I told them I no longer worked there, but they insisted I return so we could discuss the matter. When I got there, I realised they didn’t want to pay me for the shoot. We reached a deadlock, and I wasn’t prepared to work for free. That’s when I was told to either shoot the scenes for free or forget about The Lion King role in Canada. He told me he wasn’t accepting my resignation.
“It didn’t stop there — he also called The Lion King and lied, telling them I was still under his contract. I know this because I received an email from The Lion King telling me to just shoot the scenes and then join them. Eventually, I shot those 200 scenes over three days.
“I never thought I’d be treated so badly just for leaving. It was war, it was horrible — I hated being there,” she recalled.
Injured on set
She also spoke about a time when she got injured on set.
“I tore a muscle and was put on sick leave for two weeks. But they couldn’t wait — they called me back to work. I wasn’t even compensated for getting injured on duty. In fact, the set was a danger zone — people were getting injured, but they simply didn’t care.”
She claimed that abuse was common for actors on Umkhokha: The Curse.
“They told us that they owned us. That’s why you never see their actors in other productions or even in advertisements,” she said.
The Chairperson of South African Guild of Actors (SAGA), Jack Devnarain expressed shock at the allegations.
Actors’ guild shocked, but not surprised
“SAGA is appalled by Zuma’s allegations of professional misconduct and abusive working conditions on the set of Umkhokha. The allegations are shocking, but not surprising, given the complete absence of regulation in the creative sector. At the very least Ms Zuma’s report demands attention and a thorough investigation by Word of Mouth.
“SAGA receives daily reports of misconduct, contractual breaches, and even criminal activity. These related to the production environment. We treat every report with the seriousness they deserve. And in most cases, we report the production companies or individuals involved to the SAPS. We also report them to the Dept of Employment and Labour. Also the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, or to SARS.
Urged to involve authorities
“We encourage performers to become activists for industry transformation. They need to speak openly, without fear. Social media is a very effective tool for exposing abusive work conditions. But we must be prepared to take the next step and lay formal, written complaints with government authorities. This so we can hasten transformative and regulatory policies in the industry.
“SAGA will continue to advise its members on how to expose industry misconduct in all its forms. And we do not hesitate to stand in solidarity with Ms Zuma.
Numerous attempts were made to get Duma’s comment, but he did not respond.
