Word of Mouth Production, the producers of the popular telenovela Umkhokha: The Curse, are facing mounting pressure to fire actor Kininonke “Kini” Shandu following his misogynistic remarks.
Viewers of the show are threatening to boycott if Shandu is not dropped from the cast.
Shandu, a former co-host of Daily Thetha and Gagasi FM presenter, caused outrage when he took to his now-deleted Facebook account to express his views on women who have children out of wedlock.
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He referred to them as umdlambila, which translates to “naughty women.” Understandably, his remarks angered many people who saw it as disrespectful and derogatory.
In an attempt to do damage control, Shandu later apologized on social media, claiming that his comments were meant as a joke. However, his apology seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as the backlash continues to grow.
Multichoice, the parent company of Mzansi Magic, has distanced itself from Shandu’s views, stating that his apology appears to be motivated by desperation rather than genuine remorse. They have suggested that any inquiries be directed to Shandu himself.
The repercussions of Shandu’s remarks extend beyond the television industry. The Sebenza Women Awards’ disciplinary committee has taken action against him, removing him as the face of the event despite being a co-founder.
Additionally, the event has lost two major sponsors, BMW and Oceans Mall, due to the negative publicity surrounding Shandu’s comments.
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The future of Shandu’s career hangs in the balance as the public and industry professionals continue to demand accountability.
Whether or not Word of Mouth Production will heed the calls to fire him remains to be seen, but one thing is clear – the consequences of his words are far-reaching.
