12 Soapie Actors Who Got Fired and resigned in 2023

Resigning from a job because you have found other greener pasture is quite relieving but if you are fired without notice you will be left devastated. In 2023 we had actors who lost their jobs because of different reasons. Others had resigned because they found something else to do but others were shown the door. We will look at 12 Soapie Actors Who Got Fired and resigned in 2023.

No1 is Musa Ngema

12 Soapie Actors Who Got Fired and resigned in 2023 — Image of Musa Ngema

In April 2023, the soapie actor Musa Ngema was fired from Generations: The Legacy for being dramatic and failing to follow simple instructions. On the drama, Musa Ngema played the role of Mazwi Moroka, one of the only character which had remained amongst many who exited in 2014 after being fired for demanding salary increase. According to Zimoja, Musa was instructed to work on his pronunciation and stop stuttering when talking and this didn’t go well with the seasoned actor. He became angry with those who corrected him and after that he started having a bad attitude to fellow cast members. As a result, the creators of Generations the legacy had to decide to fire him. After leaving Generations the legacy, Musa was spotted at Skeem Saam offices in May 2023 and it was reported that he had joined the educational youth drama. [1]

No2 is Ronald Mkhwanazi

Another soapie actor to be shown the door this year is Ronald Mkhwanazi who was fired from Uzalo. He was playing the role of Njinji’s lover Bab’Nsimbi in SABC1 drama series Uzalo. In January 2023, Ronald was shocked when Uzalo producers told him that his contract was terminated without notice. He was told that his character was not adding to the number of viewers of the drama, so it was necessary for him to leave the drama. This hurt Ronald so much who struggled to get a television role after returning from diaspora where he acted in theatre dramas.

No3 is Karabo Maseko

Actor and television personality Karabo Maseko was fired together with four other actors from Generations the legacy in November 2023. Fans were displeased with that mini exodus of the actors but Maseko was grateful for the time he worked on the show. He revealed that his character was meant to be on the show for a short while but as time went on, he found himself being one of the leads. So, instead of complaining because he was fired, he was grateful that acting on Generations decorated his CV.

No4 is Zamani Mbatha

On 8 December 2023, Phil Mphela, a celebrity blogger tweeted that Zamani Mbatha had been shown the exit door on Isitha: the enemy. He added that “No word on whether the role on the hit show will be recast”. There was no clear reason of why he got fired but some fans speculated that it’s because of his cheating scandal. In response to these alleged reports, Mandla N spoke on behalf of Black Brain Pictures claiming that the makers of the show were shocked to hear that Zamani was fired because they didn’t fire him at all. Instead they were re-negotiating his contract on the show’s upcoming seasons and episodes. According to a source, the production will be making some changes to the storyline and getting rid of some actors.

No5 is Wiseman Mncube

Another actor whom fans wouldn’t want miss on television but will definitely miss him is Wiseman Mncube. The Uzalo actor was not really fired but he resigned from Uzalo and is venturing into other acting endeavors. Mncube joined ‘Uzalo’ in 2018, playing the role of Sbonelo who arrived as a medical doctor but fell into criminal activities. The production of Uzalo confirmed that Wiseman is indeed leaving the show. Wiseman is possibly leaving the drama to focus on other top dramas or films in the country. [2]

No6 is Baby Cele

Another Uzalo actor who shocked fans that she is leaving the show is Baby Cele who played the role of Gabisile. Just like Wiseman Mncube, Cele was not fired from Uzalo but she resigned to try other characters in other dramas. Baby Cele allegedly left Uzalo to replace Deli Malinga’s character of MamZobe in Umkhokha: the Curse.

Mumber 7 where we look at Deli Malinga’s exit from Umkhokha.

The actress Deli Malinga was reportedly not happy with the treatment and resigned from the Mzansi Magic faith-based telenovela Umkhokha: the curse. Her character MamZoba, as we have highlighted, will be replaced by the actress Baby Cele. The SAFTA winning actress Deli Malinga recently revealed to Sunday World that there are other roles in the pipeline which she couldn’t mention yet. “I am shooting a few scenes in a fun drama, but they are nothing like MaMzobe,” she tells the publication.

No8 is Nkanyiso Mchunu

The eighth actor on our list is Nkanyiso Mchunu and is the fourth actor from Uzalo to leave the drama series. Just like the other Uzalo actors Baby Cele and Wiseman Mncube, Nkanyiso left Uzalo on good grounds and his character will soon disappear from the drama. In October 2023 it was reported that Nkanyiso also left the drama series of Umkhokha just like Deli Malinga. It doesn’t appear like he was fired but his contract was over and his character had to die.

No9 is Zizipo Buti

12 Soapie Actors Who Got Fired and resigned in 20 — Image of Zizipho

Another Generations the legacy actor of the four actors who were fired is Zizipo Buti. She played the role of Tracy in the drama series. We do not know why and how she felt of her departure on the drama series but it’s possible she was hurt by this. According to Generations the legacy producers, the actors’ stellar performance have “contributed to the rich history of the show and as such, their departure marks a bittersweet moment,” [3]

Number 10 Rebaone Kgosimore

Just like Karabo Maseko and Zizipo Buti, Rebaone was fired on the Generations the legacy drama series. On the drama, Rebaone played the role of Paul Moroka Junior. Twitter blogger Phil Mphela claims that Rebaone was fired because he had poor acting skills. “Generations: The Legacy has let go of the actor who plays Paul Moroka Jr in the SABC1 soapie. There has been some complaints from viewers about his acting, but it’s not clear if that’s the reason the show decided to drop Rebaone.” Tweeted Phil.

No11 is Buntu Petse

The fourth actor to be fired from Generations the legacy is Buntu Petse. Petse debuted her acting career on the soapie in 2020 together with Maseko, who was previously on etv’s Isipho and has presented some of the channel’s youth programmes. The actress told City Press publication that she was happy to join a big telenovela like Generations. “It was quite daunting entering a space as big as Generations: The Legacy, but the cast and the crew are such supportive people. The lessons I’m taking with me as I leave are tenacity, endurance and discipline because it is an intense job”.

No12 is Zolisa Xaluva

Award winning actor Zolisa Xaluva was allegedly fired from Smoke & Mirrors where he played the role of Ceasar, a cut-throat businessman who does not mind getting his hands dirty. Final Chapter Productions, which produces the series, confirmed to Sunday World on 30th of November that the production house has parted ways with the acclaimed thespian. “At the onset of the new season of Smoke & Mirrors, the producers of Final Chapter [4]

Productions came to a resolution to amicably part ways with Zolisa Xaluva,” the company said in a statement. Ironically Zolisa Xaluva denied that he was fired and claimed that they are still negotiating a contract for their second season. If they reach the same conclusion Zolisa will remain in the drama but if they don’t Zolisa is definitely leaving the drama.

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