Day 244 – Soapie goat theft

Remember 2016?

The Rio Olympics: Hoorah!
The height of the Zuma years: Boo!
Corona was just a fancy beer: Hoorah!
Trump won the US election: Boo!
I went to Norway and Mauritius: Hoorah!

Oh, and that stolen goat ended up in a local soap opera, playing an extra “in a scene depicting rural settings”.

I think that’s the pivotal moment that most people will recall from the year. The Groot Kaas of news stories, sweeping all before it as we headed into the festive season.

I have to say that goat would have seemed a little more out of place in a scene depicting urban settings. Even I would have spotted that. But it takes a true farmer to spot a stolen goat in a scene depicting rural settings. Goats – well-known as masters of camouflage – are right at home in scenes depicting rural settings.

The thing is, there might actually be a bit of truth behind the farmer’s claims. Because one of the vehicles allegedly used in local stock thefts belonged to the production company that makes Isibaya. And stock is an important part of Isibaya, given that there are a lot of rural scenes to film in the Thukela Valley where the feuding Zungu and Ndlovu families are based.

A number of Gauteng farmers say they feel affected by the stock thefts and want the cops to investigate whether the Isibaya manager may also be responsible for violent farm robberies and murders that have accompanied past stock thefts.
They are demanding compensation from Isibaya and a public statement on the matter; reportedly, a protest to the soapie’s Joburg studios on Thursday is being planned.

…the plot thickens.

Isibaya’s producer Kutlwano Ditsele denied any involvement in crime and said they were conducting an internal investigation.

…but then he would say that, wouldn’t he?

 

I have never watched an episode of Isibaya.