Are Connie and Shona Ferguson encouraging gender-based violence?

Twitter is currently on fire and hugely successful film and media couple Connie and Shona Ferguson are being burnt.

It all started this week when it was announced that Ferguson Films had hired actor Peter Mashigo to star in The Queen despite Mashigo’s history of violence against women when he was filmed beating a woman in Pretoria.

Given South Africa’s horrifically long relationship with all manner of violence against women and young girls, the Fergusons’ decision has not been well-received by the public – and celebrities are also expressing their disappointment.

Local actress Rami Chuene was among the first to voice her disbelief at the Mashigo being cast by the Fergusons.

Man (actor) beats up woman, video goes viral. Production fires man cos they are against GBV (read cornered). Jikijiki same production casts/rewards same man on another show of theirs, with a bigger role. Then you wonder why it takes long for victims to speak out. Must be nice.

— Rami Chuene????????️‍???? (@ramichuene) August 24, 2020

The Fergusons have not had a good year when it comes to publicity, having recently been paraded in the news for the mistreatment and staff dismissals.

Now, added to that debacle is this new and rapidly growing negative public opinion of the couple for hiring Mashigo.

Comments in reaction to Chuene give an idea of how people feel.

People value their own bank accounts than growing good man in our communities. It’s the same people that claim they want change in the public eye but promote it in private.

— Thabo Toka Mack Masi (@Mack_Masia) August 24, 2020

Meanwhile, @No1FeministFan encouraged viewers to stop watching The Queen.

Thank God I stopped watching…I can’t in all honesty be up in arms over the weekend re: Tall A$$ Mo & boycotting #BehindTheStory & I’m tuning in to watch #TheQueenMzanzi, my activism is consistent & I hope ppl that were #IbelieveLeratoMoloi are also going to be consistent!

— #Feminist Icons (@No1FeministFan) August 24, 2020

Meanwhile, the Fergusons have yet to comment and Mashigo’s agent told the media that the actor had learnt from his past and: “There are people using his name to settle old scores and possibly get him fired.”

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