Siyabonga Shibe Faces Allegations of Exploiting Film Students, Leaving Them Stranded
Actor Siyabonga Shibe finds himself embroiled in controversy as serious allegations of exploiting film students emerge, leaving them in a state of financial distress. This comes on the heels of a previous incident where Shibe failed to fulfill promises made to four aspiring film students regarding bursaries for a prestigious film school. Now, it has come to light that he allegedly deceived 25 hopeful actors by offering them job opportunities in television, commercials, and film through his production company, Dream Up Productions, in exchange for enrolling in his acting classes.
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Broken Promises: Bursary Offer Turns Into a Nightmare for Film Students
According to sources who spoke to ZiMoja anonymously, the students paid significant sums ranging from R10,000 to R20,000, firmly believing that these payments would secure them prominent roles in television and lucrative commercial campaigns. Tragically, some students even went beyond the R20,000 mark, driven by the guarantee that completing the course would lead to immediate employment opportunities facilitated by Shibe’s production company.
Heartbroken and disillusioned, one student tearfully shared,
“My parents took their last money knowing that we are guaranteed jobs after completing the course”
The students were promised comprehensive training in acting, TV production, directing, and other aspects of the industry.
However, Shibe, renowned for his leading role in the popular telenovela “Sibongile & The Dlaminis” on Mzansi Wethu, has seemingly vanished into thin air, absconding with over R125,000 collected from these aspiring actors. Left in financial turmoil and uncertain about their future, the students, many of whom hail from disadvantaged backgrounds, had pinned their hopes on joining Shibe’s production company to uplift their lives and those of their families. Now, they are left grappling with the question of how to move forward.
“What do we tell our parents now because most of us are from disadvantaged backgrounds and we were hoping that we were going to change our lives and the lives of our families by joining his production?,”one student lamented.
False Hopes: Acting Classes Turn Out to be a Costly Deception
Investigations conducted by the publication have uncovered disturbing details. It has been revealed that Shibe, the founder of Dream Up Productions and the associated acting classes, has failed to deliver on his promises, with not a single actor being cast in any film production. Furthermore, Shibe has not attended a single class or held any meetings with the students since 2022.
“We have never seen him live since 2022. We were always given stories that he is busy, but he is not busy when it comes to our money,” expressed another disgruntled student, highlighting the deep disappointment and frustration experienced by the group.
Students Seek Answers: Calls for Accountability as Shibe Remains Unreachable
With their hard-earned money gone, the students are now demanding answers and seeking restitution. However, their attempts to reach Shibe have been met with silence, as calls go unanswered and messages remain unreturned.
