The South African Broadcasting Corporation has suspended three senior executives amid growing outrage over unpaid salaries linked to the soapie Pimville, produced by Bakwena Productions.
The suspended executives have been identified as Nirvana Singh, Reatlegile Mampa and Lala Tuku, with the broadcaster reportedly launching an internal investigation into the handling of the production and related payment processes.
The controversy follows weeks of complaints from cast members, crew and suppliers who claim they have gone unpaid for months despite continuing work on the show.
BuzzLife News reports that the production on Pimville has now been halted, with the final completed episode airing on 7 May as tensions continue to rise behind the scenes.
At the centre of the storm is Bakwena Productions, led by Rashaka Muofhe alongside his wife Brenda Muofhe and business partner Kagiso Modupe.
The company has faced mounting criticism from workers who accuse management of failing to prioritise payments owed to staff and service providers.
Some workers have also raised concerns about what they describe as extravagant spending by company leadership during the ongoing payment crisis, although those allegations have not been independently verified.
One insider claimed fear has spread among workers involved in the production.
“Everyone is scared of Rashaka. He is making threats in the chat group. He must just pay people and stop with the threats,” the source alleged.
Additional allegations circulating around the production claim that luxury vehicles, property investments and other business ventures were pursued while workers allegedly remained unpaid.
Claims have also surfaced suggesting the production company received funding worth approximately R60 million, though details surrounding the allocation of those funds remain unclear.
As frustration grows, many affected workers are now demanding accountability from both the production company and the public broadcaster, with questions mounting over how the situation was allowed to escalate to this level.