Veteran actress and revered newsreader Vatiswa Ndara has bravely claimed that the entertainment industry is blacklisting her. The allegations form the chilling core of her soon-to-be-released autobiography, ‘Unfiltered: My Unglamorous Odyssey in the World of South African Entertainment’, which promises an unflinching look into the dark underbelly of local show business.
The multi-talented performer, known for her commanding presence on both radio and television, suggests that her outspoken nature and refusal to stay silent on malpractice have cost her dearly. She describes the insidious nature of being blacklisted, a shadowy practice that is near impossible to prove yet devastatingly effective.
Vatiswa Ndara Accuses the Entertainment Industry Of Blacklisting Her
Ndara’s troubles appear to have escalated dramatically after she reported an incident of sexual harassment. She recounts a situation where a manager made unwelcome sexual advances towards her. After taking the matter to the Media Workers Association of South Africa, she believes her career was deliberately sabotaged.
This was not an isolated incident, as she had previously alleged that actor and production boss Peter Sephuma had groped her in the workplace, which led to her being barred from the SABC Africa offices and losing her primary income.
The consequences of her stance, she reveals, extended far beyond professional exile. Ndara details how she faced a period of profound personal turmoil, grappling with severe depression, unemployment, and a battle with suicide, all of which she attributes to the industry’s cold shoulder. Her ordeal reached a terrifying climax when she survived an assassination attempt, being shot twice in the hip.
“How Do You Prove It?” – The Unseen Blacklist
In a powerful excerpt from her book, Ndara articulates the frustrating ambiguity that surrounds being blacklisted. She writes, “One can confidently say that I have been blacklisted. The tricky thing about being blacklisted, though, is that one can’t really prove it. The telltale signs are there that you’ve been blacklisted, but how do you prove it? I don’t think broadcasters and producers are dumb enough to expose their malicious ways by having a blacklist dossier.”
She goes on to describe the common deflection used by decision-makers, stating,
“Instead, when there are no roles allocated in the direction of the blacklisted person, the decision-makers can easily blame that on the scarcity of roles suitable for ‘Mr or Ms Blacklisted’.
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Seeking direct answers, she once confronted a major broadcaster. She recalls,
“In 2020 I confronted Mzansi Magic, seeking confirmation that they had blacklisted me… However, the allegation was swiftly denied.”
Lufuno Nethengwe, MNet’s head of drama, assured her the channel had no issues with her, framing a specific casting rejection as a matter of finding the “right fit for the role.”