CONFIRMED! Leleti Khumalo wanted more money to stay on Uzalo

It has been widely reported that Leleti Khumalo along with Sihle Ndaba have left SABC1 show Uzalo. I also shared info of their upcoming Uzalo funeral via my Twitter. Though salary issues have been alluded to as the reason for their departure from the show, I can now confirm why Leleti quit. 

I have gathered some information from Stained Glass that may give more context to why Leleti decided to quit a successful show like Uzalo. 

Speaking to one of the producers, I was alerted to the fact that Ms Khumalo was more than welcomed to stay with the show for as long as she wanted — especially given how popular her character is with the audience. 

Which then begs the question, why did she leave? 

According to the producer, last year Ms Khumalo approached them with a request for a salary increase. With her request, Ms Khumalo is said to have told Uzalo producers that she had gotten an offer to work on another new production as a lead and producer. With that Ms Khumalo wanted Uzalo to match the money she was being offered at that new show. 

Unfortunately, Stained Glass Productions, which produces Uzalo, could not meet the demand or in more sanitised terms 'match the offer Ms Khumalo had presented to them', so she walked. 

I have since leant independently that the new show Ms Khumalo was roped into is called Imbewu and it is a production from new company called Grapevine Productions— which is an amalgamation of Word Of Mouth, Videovision and Lyks Productions. 

World Of Mouth is owned by Duma KaNdlovu and it's known for producing Muvhangp, and Videovision is owned by world renowned film producer Anant Singh.

I admit, I found it strange that Ms Khumalo would want to be paid the same amount for one job on Uzalo as she was being offered on Imbewu for two jobs. Hopefully I will get to talk to her soon and get more context as to why she would make such a request, because at face value it makes no sense. 

Imbewu - The Seed will air on etv likely in February and Leleti Khumalo will star-in and co-produce the show.