Is ‘Kenneth Mashaba’ actor broke? Truth behind Seputla Sebogodi pics
· The South African
An image of actor Seputla Sebogodi – known for playing soapie villain “Kenneth Mashaba” on Generations – has gone on social media. According to commentary, the TV and theatre veteran has fallen upon hard times.
However, the reports have been rubbished by fellow actor Sello Maake KaNcube, who has labelled them as “misinformation”.
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Those close to Sebogodi have also laughed off the reports, claiming it was all a big misunderstanding.
IMAGE OF ‘KENNETH MASHABA’ ACTOR GOES VIRAL
On the X app, images of actor Seputla Sebogodi have gone viral after social media users claimed he was experiencing financial hardship.
In the images, the man, once known for playing the character “Kenneth Mashaba” on SABC 1 soapie, Generations, was seen sitting outside in a public space while appearing somewhat forlorn. Alongside him was a large, empty, checkered bag, known colloquially as the “Machangani” or “Ghana must go” bag.
Many assumed that he was homeless and broke.
X user @SEO30JJ posted: “💔 It’s sad witnessing people we grew up watching on our TV screens ending up like this”.
@chiefofstaffZA tweeted: “This picture hurts. That is the painful side of the entertainment industry”
Notorious X troll Chris Excel added: “Someone find brother Kenneth Mashaba, we wanna chip in a few coins…”
However, it appeared social media users got it all wrong.
The image of Sebogodi was taken in Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown, where he is performing in his new theatre production, Black Moon, as part of the National Arts Festival.
The image was snapped by his peers, who had a good laugh about the “misunderstanding”.
Thespian Mandisi “Dr Disi” Sindo posted on Instagram: “The team working with him are laughing and asking ourselves how that bag was even placed next to him, as it was with the stage manager all the time. But also, blacks enjoy and love to see another black person fall.
“The man had an amazing time in Grahamstown, last night performed to a full house and had three other 3 amazing performances with people coming from all walks of life wanting to see him”.
Sindo joked that Seputla Sebogodi was even tempted to write a new screenplay called “The Bag” based on the viral images.
SELLING ON SEPUTLA SEBOGODI ‘MISINFORMATION’: ‘DO BETTER’
Meanwhile, fellow actor and thespian Sello Maake KaNcube has criticised social media users and a handful of celebrity blog sites that reported Seputla Sebogodi’s alleged “misfortune”.
He posted on Facebook: “Caution and advice to everyone: Let’s do better! The characters we embody are not a reflection of our real lives.
He added, “As artists, we already face enough challenges without having our work repackaged as propaganda for engagement. Support our fellow artists by telling their stories truthfully, not by manufacturing narratives that invite pity where none exists. There is a difference between raising awareness and misleading the public”.