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Showbiz Reporter
IT never rains but pours for former Generations cast, Seputla Sebogodi and Zolisa Xaluva, who last year jumped ship to join Zabalaza as that soapie will be coming to an end in eight months.

Zabalaza, which airs on Mzansi Magic channels, was launched in 2013 as the first-ever lokshin soapie, boasting a celebrated cast of South African actors, among them, Baby Cele and Zandile Msutwana.

According to the Sunday Sun, the soapie’s actors and crew were shocked when they were informed about the canning of the show. Insiders claimed the move was long coming as Mzansi Magic could no longer fund the show as its viewership went from 700,000 to less than 200,000.

“There were issues in terms of the direction the show was taking. The problem with the show is that executive producers were told to shape up or ship out.

“The producers decided to change the script, but still failed dismally. They started writing their own, but ran out of ideas and couldn’t attract viewers,” a source told the Sunday Sun.

Another source claimed Zabalaza producers had informed actors to come up with their own storyline on how they want to exit the show.

Though he did not give reasons as to why the show was going off air, M-Net director of local interest channels, Nkateko Mabaso, said: “We’re proud of the success sustained by Zabalaza in its three-year run. This production captivated audiences from all walks of life and allowed them to not only laugh at themselves, but to also learn from the character journeys explored within the show.

“It’s been a privilege having a show like Zabalaza in our stable, and I think I speak for every viewer when I say that Zabalaza has upped the standards of the local soap offering. We hope that we can continue to raise the bar.”

He said viewers could continue watching the show in its regular time slot from Mondays to Thursdays at 9PM on Mzansi Magic, before it goes off air in April, 2016.

“Zabalaza stayed true to Mzansi Magic’s approach of ‘telling authentic stories that resonate with the audiences’ as viewers were introduced to the Cele family who struggled with power, greed and love.

“Season 2 continued with a magnificent storyline when the reign of the patriarch, Jazzman, came to a dramatic end with his empire burning down.”

A new era of Zabalaza was born in Season 3 when the storyline stepped into an urban milieu that had all the ingredients of a 21st century soapie – a tangle of sex, drugs, egos, backstabbing and sometimes lethal ambition. This new world was coupled with an exciting new location and a line-up of more superb actors such as Zolisa Xaluva, Tango Ncetezo, Rosie Motene and Bohang Moeko, to name a few.

Mabaso said exciting new dramas were on the cards.