The conference is due to take place at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on 27 September.
The South African Actors Guild (SAGA) will host an anti-racism conference in Cape Town next week to confront the prevalence of racism in the Western Cape's entertainment industry.
“You have white-owned service providers, white-owned businesses and trade associations that are majority-white members, and they're tightening their grip on the entertainment industry,” said SAGA president and actor Jack Devnarain. The Citizen.
The conference is due to take place at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town on 27 September.
“The situation is serious. There seems to be a systemic problem of enforcing racist behaviour,” the actor, known for his role as Rajesh Kumar, alleged. Isidingo.
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Meeting discussion
The conference will feature a panel discussion with several industry representatives working as actors, writers, content creators and technical staff – all of whom work in the Western Cape.
“There will be a question and answer session with the audience to enable participants to share their experiences. The final talk will be delivered by Isha Dilraj from the Office of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town,” Devnarain said.
The actor will moderate the panel discussion.
Actress and SAGA Executive Committee member Toko Nsinga was also in attendance on the day, 7 Deraan Actress Melanie Dubois.
The panel will feature Andile Sinkoto, president of the Independent Directors Association of Africa (IDAA), writer Weam Williams and director Kazi Khuboni.
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Lawless Industry
Devnarain said the challenges SAGA wants to address are not specific to the Western Cape but are widespread across South Africa's entertainment industry.
“The entertainment industry is completely unregulated, which means that labour laws that are typically applied to address racism in the workplace are denied application,” the actor said.
“Racists and bigots are emboldened in the creative industries because they know they are not subject to labour laws that punish their behaviour. This is a national issue that transcends geographical boundaries.”
READ ALSO: 'He never told the truth about his health', actor says about former Isidingo colleague
Darlington Funeral Details
Details of the memorial service and funeral for Darlington Michaels, Mr Devnarain's former colleague at Isidingo, were announced on Monday.
RIP:
Memorial and funeral details for late actor Darlington Michaels#RIP Darlington Michaels #Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/paNp4EHryt
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) September 16, 2024
The actor who is still called by his nickname Isidingo The character's name, Georgie “Papa G” Zamdela, passed away last Friday after a brief illness.
“My last contact with Darlington was by phone during Covid and I knew he was quite ill,” Ms Devnarain said.
“We knew his health was deteriorating, especially during COVID-19 when he didn’t have a lot of support around him outside of close friends and family.
But he had no medical help and it was very difficult for him to move around or continue working. He was very dependent on support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was worried about him.”
After Michaels died, Devnarain took over as his Isidingo It's also the work of her colleague, the recently deceased actress Connie Tume.
Service to the Nation ✔️
Love for their work ✔️
National Treasure ✔️
Government Awards❌
Medical Assistance❌
Residual profits, royalties ❌
State Funeral ❌
Half-mast ❌Not all patriots served political purposes. pic.twitter.com/YjNGzc3ZlC
— Jack Devnarain (@JackD157) September 14, 2024
He did this to highlight the plight of South African actors who are not recognised by the industry or the government.
“It is yet another tragedy that Darlington Michaels, another large veteran of the industry, will pass away without being able to pass on his residual income to his estate, family and dependents because the state has failed to provide any protections or reform statutory provisions.”
Devnarain said there was nothing in South African law that would allow actors to claim royalties or residual profits for the “continuing exploitation” of their work.
“That means Darlington's Isidingo All his other film and television projects will continue to be seen and broadcast by the various broadcasters who produce the shows.
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Proposal for amendment to the Entertainer Protection Act
The Performers Protection Amendment Bill (PPAB), which could dramatically change the lives of performers, has been passed by both the National Assembly and all provincial assemblies and is on President Cyril Ramaphosa's table. It only needs his signature to pass.
The Performers' Protection Amendment Bill is linked to the Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB).
“The Performers' Protection Act Amendment Bill gives actors the legal right to receive their royalties, and the Copyright Act Amendment Bill gives them the legal right to set up organisations that can collect and distribute those royalties.”
Read now: South African actors take their fight to parliament
