1 yr. ago
MUVHANGO THE JOURNEY (1997 – 2024)
Sometime in 1996 I submitted a drama concept called MASHUDU to the SABC. Thaninga Shope – Msimang, then head of SABC 2 got extremely excited. I wasn’t even sure if she had read the drama proposal. I was surprised. I later was to learn that the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority, now known as ICASA) had put the broadcaster under pressure demanding that they accommodate marginalized languages. I had hit a jackpot because my proposal was for a TshiVenda drama. It was then called; MASHUDU, after the main character. Thaninga immediately called her drama commissioning editors and instructed them to work with me and make sure that the drama is ready for broadcast soonest.
It was on Monday, April 07, 1997 at 7.30pm that the first episode of MUVHANGO went on air on SABC 2 without much fanfare. The buzz that came from that first episode forced those who had missed the first episode to tune in the next Monday to see what the fuss and the buzz was all about. . Word in the streets was that a Mosotho woman was fighting her husband’s Venda family for the right to bury her husband. Mara Louw played the character of Catherine, who was married to Mashudu, who dies in the first five minutes of the first episode of the drama. (Because of Mashudu dying so soon in the first episode, I had to change the name of the drama to Muvhango, - conflict). By the time all the 13episodes had played South Africa was glued to the television screens and there had been a massive surge of viewership from across the country from people who were hungry for content that portrayed them and their stories. People said that this was the first time that they saw themselves on TV the way they had wanted to be portrayed.
Sometime in 1996 I submitted a drama concept called MASHUDU to the SABC. Thaninga Shope – Msimang, then head of SABC 2 got extremely excited. I wasn’t even sure if she had read the drama proposal. I was surprised. I later was to learn that the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority, now known as ICASA) had put the broadcaster under pressure demanding that they accommodate marginalized languages. I had hit a jackpot because my proposal was for a TshiVenda drama. It was then called; MASHUDU, after the main character. Thaninga immediately called her drama commissioning editors and instructed them to work with me and make sure that the drama is ready for broadcast soonest.
It was on Monday, April 07, 1997 at 7.30pm that the first episode of MUVHANGO went on air on SABC 2 without much fanfare. The buzz that came from that first episode forced those who had missed the first episode to tune in the next Monday to see what the fuss and the buzz was all about. . Word in the streets was that a Mosotho woman was fighting her husband’s Venda family for the right to bury her husband. Mara Louw played the character of Catherine, who was married to Mashudu, who dies in the first five minutes of the first episode of the drama. (Because of Mashudu dying so soon in the first episode, I had to change the name of the drama to Muvhango, - conflict). By the time all the 13episodes had played South Africa was glued to the television screens and there had been a massive surge of viewership from across the country from people who were hungry for content that portrayed them and their stories. People said that this was the first time that they saw themselves on TV the way they had wanted to be portrayed.
On episode 13, when the two families came together in Thathe, (Venda) where they had all agreed Mashudu would be buried, the two families, Catherine and her children on the one side, and Masindi (the Venda wife) on the other, open the coffin to find that the mortuary had brought the wrong body. That’s how episode 13 ended and the broadcaster was forced to commission another 13 episodes. But it took a while and a lot of pressure from the public.
It was in 1999 that the second season of Muvhango, another 13
episodes, went on air and the drama’s popularity continued to rise and the broadcaster was forced to commission another season. In 2000 Season 3, was commissioned and because of the drama’s continued popularity, Season 3 was 26 episodes.
Season 4 went on air in 2001 and the drama had grown into a mini soapie, It was broadcast two days a week for the whole year, (104 episodes). It had moved to the 9pm slot becoming the SABC – 2’s flagship program. In 2003 season 5 saw the drama becoming a soapie and broadcasting 4 days a week. The growth was phenomenal. The Venda language had become a mainstay in a country where a mere 5years before it was the smallest language in the country’s collection of eleven languages.
It took a few years before the soapie was commissioned an additional day to extend to 5 days a week. In fact it was Hlaudi Motsueneng, with his unusual style of management who forced the broadcast management to add day 5 in 2014.
Since 2014 Muvhango has diligently been on air five days a week without fail. This month marks the first time that there is a break in broadcast.
It was in 1999 that the second season of Muvhango, another 13
episodes, went on air and the drama’s popularity continued to rise and the broadcaster was forced to commission another season. In 2000 Season 3, was commissioned and because of the drama’s continued popularity, Season 3 was 26 episodes.
Season 4 went on air in 2001 and the drama had grown into a mini soapie, It was broadcast two days a week for the whole year, (104 episodes). It had moved to the 9pm slot becoming the SABC – 2’s flagship program. In 2003 season 5 saw the drama becoming a soapie and broadcasting 4 days a week. The growth was phenomenal. The Venda language had become a mainstay in a country where a mere 5years before it was the smallest language in the country’s collection of eleven languages.
It took a few years before the soapie was commissioned an additional day to extend to 5 days a week. In fact it was Hlaudi Motsueneng, with his unusual style of management who forced the broadcast management to add day 5 in 2014.
Since 2014 Muvhango has diligently been on air five days a week without fail. This month marks the first time that there is a break in broadcast.
1 yr. ago
In response News Conner to his Post
1 yr. ago
In response News Conner to his Post
Muvhango has been a part of South Africa's consciousness and family viewing for the last 27 years and we as a production company we are massively grateful, first to the broadcaster for allowing us the platform and mostly to the viewers who have come back time and time again to follow our brand of story telling.
Tonight we enter another phase of our journey, may the gods be with us.
Akwande!
Tonight we enter another phase of our journey, may the gods be with us.
Akwande!
