Botswana's first reality TV fails to air

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 8, 2009 00:00

 

But what happened was worse than going off like a damp squib; nothing went off at all!
Sources close to Thabiso, the son of Presidential Affairs Minister Margaret Nasha, have attributed the failure to air the show to 'internal politics' at Btv. They say Thabiso, the owner and star of the programme, was locked in a meeting with Btv officials on Monday (yesterday) in an attempt to have the show go on air early this week.

Attempts to speak to Btv Channel Controller failed because the officer's phone went unanswered.

The leading light of the show, which was scheduled to end on December 1, was hoping that Btv viewers would cheer or jeer as the star, a happy-go-lucky Casanova, dipsomaniac and chain smoker, struggled with his vices in accordance with his gaining and waning willpower.

Even so, Thabiso believes he has an able team. He said in an earlier interview: 'I might achieve what I'm seeking to achieve, or I might fail. I just want people to see me for who I am - Thabiso who makes mistakes and tries to correct them.

'The challenge is that within three months I should have quit drinking, smoking, partying. Cameras will be following me wherever I go, whether it's at the bar, or clubbing. If Thabiso can overcome these challenges, any youth can.'

The 13-episode show looks into the star's household and examines how he relates to his wife and their new baby. 'The objective is to encourage behavioural change,' Thabiso said. 'I'm going to talk about past relationships with my wife - my escapades of the past - and see how she reacts.

The climax of the show was to be a new-look Thabiso who tackles a professional boxer on December 1 after shedding off 20 of his 80 kilograms. He describes the boxing match as symbolic of the fight with HIV/AIDS.