Veteran South African actor Sello Maake kaNcube has hit out at the spread of misleading social media posts that falsely portrayed fellow actor Seputla Sebogodi as facing financial hardship.
The controversy erupted after a photograph of Sebogodi, best known for his iconic role as Kenneth Mashaba in the long-running soapie Generations, was shared online without proper context. The image was actually taken during promotional work for the theatre production Black Moon at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
In a strongly worded statement, Maake kaNcube expressed disappointment over how quickly the image was turned into content for clicks and engagement.
“As artists, we already face enough challenges without having our work repackaged as propaganda for engagement,” he wrote.
He emphasised that the photo reflected professional activities and did not represent anyone’s personal circumstances, accusing some users of deliberately misleading the public and exploiting the dignity of a respected colleague.
“There is a difference between raising awareness and misleading the public. The truth matters. Respect matters. Our industry deserves better,” Maake kaNcube added.
Seputla Sebogodi has not publicly commented on the matter at the time of publishing.