Irate viewers want Generations axed over ‘explicit content’

Generations: The Legacy creator Mfundi Vundla came out guns blazing to defend the soapie against allegations it is serving the South African public every weekday with “soft porn” and making family television time awkward in many homes.

“There is a warning; a PG13 sign on the screen, which warns people and alerts them that if they have kids they should tell them that it’s Mommy and Daddy’s time now,” he said, adding that he can’t take responsibility for what parents are not doing.

“In Generations we don’t have explicit sex or nudity. We don’t have scenes where people are making love like in Game of Thrones. People must not now sensationalise the matter.”

The 70-year-old producer says in terms of international best practice, they are not at fault.

“I don’t have a letter from the BCCSA [Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA]. The SABC does not have such a letter either,” he said.

Vundla, however, says “one must take into account that some sensitive viewers were offended”, and for that he apologises.

The public complaint that led certain viewers to call for the canning of the show, which is the second most watched show on South African television as a whole, was due to the steamy scenes.

Viewers complained about the apparent explicit scenes between three characters: Smanga Moroka played by Moopi Mothibeli, and Tshidi, played by Letoya Makhene, and the new character Thabi, played by Motsoaledi Setumo.

During the past weeks Thabi and Smanga had their own version of the erotic Fifty Shades of Grey.

Thabi, in spicy underwear, called herself “a slave” and “a very naughty girl” who “needs to be punished”, handing a whip to Smanga to use on her.

“We would like to assure our viewers that we take their feedback seriously and apologise for any inconvenience or discomfort this week’s episodes may have caused,” said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

The SABC as public broadcaster has an obligation under the Broadcasting Code to show programming that is not harmful to children, especially before the supposed “watershed period” of between 9pm and 5am. – news@citizen.co.za