Nosipho Gumede

Former Home Affairs and Igazi actress Vatiswa Ndara took the country by storm when she penned an open letter to the Minister of Sports, Arts and culture, Nathi Mthethwa. The letter alleges “bullying and exploitation” of actors in the industry.

Ndara’s letter was triggered by an email from Ferguson Films, owned by Connie and Shona Ferguson, to offer her a contract for season 3 of the Mzansi Magic drama series, Igazi.  TimesLive reported that the Fergusons are considering taking legal action against the actress.

The contemptuous six-page letter sparked a conversation on social media with other actors and actresses also voicing out their experiences under certain production companies, under the #IstandwithVatiswa hashtag.

In 2014, a similar protest by the cast of Generations played out in the media when producer Mfundi Vundla fired the lead cast, who protested over wages and working environment. Vundla then re-branded the soapie into ‘Generations: The legacy’.

Nathi Mthethwa acknowledged that he had received the letter. This has also pushed artists to urge the President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to sign a Performer’s Protection Amendment bill.

On Twitter various celebrities posted about the ills of the entertainment industry. Check out the tweets here:

This is a developing story.