The Saftas Misled Tv Viewers At The Awards Ceremony Aired On SABC3

8 years on and it seems in South Africa we still can not get the most basic rules of LIVE broadcasting right or we blatantly do not care. Like many viewers and tv critics on Saturday, I was left aghast when I saw Muvhango mentioned in the contenders list of Soapies viewers had to vote for. 

I did not attend the gala event held at Gallagher Estate to hand out the Safta trophies to the winners so I was subjected to the misfortune of watching the live event on television. To say I was shocked is an understatement but I will not nitpick. 

Ok, to be fair, not all live shows in this country are riddled with errors but for the most prestigious ones like the SAFTAs, it is disconcerting to see amateurish mistakes such as misspellings of names and tiles as well as sound problems still a problem. For heaven's sake, this is supposed to be our equivalent of the Emmys. 

It is baffling that someone did not have the foresight to point out to the team that having Muvhango which is not a contender on the list will call the whole process into question. 

As it has been reported prior to the event, Word Of Mouth, the production company behind the SABC 2 soapie, chose not to submit the show for considering for the Best Soap category at this year's SAFTAs. 

How then, could the SAFTAs still put the name of the show in the voting list and urge viewers to vote? Which also begs that obvious question; What would have happened if Muvhango was the winner? That also raises another qsuetion; What happened to the votes cast for Muvhango?

It would come as no surprise that the guests at the event were audibly surprised when 7de Laan was announced as the show with the most viewers votes. Once I saw Muvhango on the list, the whole process rendered null and void in my opinion. 

Not to pull a "Kanye West on Taylor Swift" moment here but 7de Laan's win is definitely questionable. 

We still have a long way to go in South Africa with television broadcasting. The production of the SAFTAs this year left a lot to be desired. I personally hope someone sent an apology to Ms Chavanduka not Chuvunduku's family for the misspelling of her name in her memorium slide. 

8 years, SAFTAs... this is not cool!!!