The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) party has issued a public statement declaring its intention to intervene in the ongoing Pimville production crisis. The party demanded immediate transparency from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) over the abrupt suspension of its Head of Content, Lala Tuku.
The MK party alleged that Tuku’s suspension may be a retaliatory measure directly linked to her whistleblowing activities.
According to internal reports noted by the party, Tuku had tabled a crucial report and sent emails exposing governance failures, irregular payments, and non-deliverables by the contracted production house shortly before she was sidelined.
The party further claimed that Tuku had been highly vocal in internal meetings defending exploitation victims and workers within the creative sector. Alarmingly, the party also pointed to circulating social media reports indicating that Tuku has faced personal safety threats since the internal fallout began, prompting calls for immediate state protection.
“This matter cannot be treated as a routine internal labour dispute, given the scale of public funds involved and the potential impact on workers within the creative sector,” said the party before demanding that parliament be allowed full oversight. The party also wants Tuku’s formal presentation against her suspension to be made public.
Also on the party’s list of demands is a comprehensive account of how controversial production company Bakwena Productions was appointed, who authorised the payments to the company despite a forensic audit being initiated prior to the show’s February broadcast, and why the show was allowed to continue while workers suffered.
The ‘Pimville’ non-payment saga explained
The intervention by the MK party comes on the heels of weeks of local headlines dominating South Africa’s entertainment and public broadcasting sectors.
Pimville is a flagship telenovela broadcast on SABC 2, produced by Bakwena Productions, a company owned by actor Kagiso Modupe and couple Rashaka “Rush” and Brenda Muofhe.
The show was commissioned to replace the long-running soapie Muvhango, with the SABC expecting it to pull back massive audiences.
However, the production exploded into a national scandal in early May 2026 when cast and crew members downed tools after going completely unpaid since February 2026.
Timeline of key developments in the ‘Pimville’ saga
Foreseeable red flags: It was revealed that the SABC proceeded to contract Bakwena Productions despite historical warnings. The South African Guild of Actors (SAGA) had previously flagged Bakwena for similar non-payment issues on an earlier project, Pound 4 Pound. SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli admitted to Parliament that the broadcaster was aware of these risks but had appointed a supervising producer to mitigate them, even though this is an intervention that ultimately failed.
Worker exploitation allegations: Beyond missing salaries, other concerning reports emerged from the set. Workers accused Bakwena of extreme exploitation, including being forced to pay for their own transport while executives drove luxury vehicles. Crew members also alleged that unsafe catering caused mass illnesses, and at one point, cast and crew were reportedly “held hostage” on location because the production house allegedly failed to pay the property owners. Co-owner Kagiso Modupe has since distanced himself from the financial side of the business, claiming he is also an unpaid victim.
The R19 million: As grievances went public, the SABC initially distanced itself, issuing statements declaring it was fully up to date with its contractual payments and placing the blame entirely on Bakwena Productions for breach of contract. It soon surfaced, however, that the SABC is currently attempting to recover an estimated R19 million paid to Bakwena for episodes that the public broadcaster has struggled to actually receive.
Executive clean sweep: The crisis reached a boiling point when the SABC placed head of content Lala Tuku, along with several other unnamed senior executives, on precautionary suspension. While the SABC has officially refused to comment heavily on “employer-employee issues,” industry insiders suggest the suspensions are tied to a failure in oversight and risk mitigation regarding how public funds were funnelled into the failing arrangement.
