Makgabaneng boss quashes indiscipline rumours

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Staff Writer | Thursday June 6, 2013 00:00

Once it is complete, the visual adaptation Mareledi will air on Botswana Television.'We have not met our deadline for a couple of reasons, but it is not true that we had to find another cinematographer. Among other reasons, we delayed because we have been forced to re-tender and after the tender was finally awarded, we had to start training our actors because most of the local actors are new to this television thing,' Phoga told Showbiz.

Further, information on this matter reveals that the project had to be re-tendered to meet the World Bank regulations. By the time the initial tender was awarded, it had not been advertised for three months as required by the financiers.Recent reports in the media indicate that the drama's airing on TV has been delayed after another cinematographer had to be recruited. The company that was engaged to produce the drama apparently had no such expert.According to the report, one of the reasons for the delays was the lack of professionalism and discipline of some members of the cast.

To this, Phoga said: 'That is also not true. We have people doing this on a part-time basis since they have permanent jobs and the allowances they get from us are not that much. You cannot call that lack of discipline.One cannot leave his or her job for acting, and as such, we have had actors pull out because of other work commitments. In one situation, a lead actor was transferred, so it was back to square one as we tried to find a suitable replacement.'

Phoga also noted that meetings held with them and National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) to sort out actor's wardrobes also contributed to the delays.'We had to convince NACA that actors had to be dressed in a particular way for certain scenes and that took some time,' he said. However, Phoga was optimistic that the eight episodes needed by national broadcaster (BTV) before the drama can go on air will be ready before the end of this month.'We will soon submit the eight episodes to NACA and it will be up to them and BTV to decide when it starts showing on television,' Phoga said.