JOHANNESBURG — Keabetswe “KB” Motsilanyane and Peter Se-Puma are leaving e.Tv’s Rhythm City, as the show’s producers are trying to “refresh” its cast and storylines.
The two have been with the show since it launched in 2007. They played Lucilla and Miles.
Free-to-air channel e.Tv has confirmed that their contracts were not renewed and they’ll wrap up at the end of March.
“KB and Peter are leaving Rhythm City. This is after Lucilla went to prison and Miles went on a holiday with his family,” Monde Twala, the managing director of e.Tv’s channels division, told City Press.
“The character changes are part of our ongoing story development aimed at refreshing the soapie. Both the actors’ storylines are open-ended,” Twala said.
Se-Puma confirmed his departure, saying it was “not the end of the road”.
“It happened at the right time. I had an exclusive contract with e.Tv and it didn’t allow me to do other things,” Se-Puma said.
He added that he was looking at some freelance acting and producing gigs.
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Motsilanyane, meanwhile, chose to keep mum.
“According to our contract with e.Tv, we are not allowed to comment. You can contact the channel for the official comment,” she told City Press and added that she might have something to say on April 1.
Fans of her music will hope the R&B songstress uses the change to hit a recording studio and wow them with a few new tracks.
A Rhythm City insider told City Press the actors weren’t being personally targeted, as the channel was trying to make its prime soapie younger and fresher.
The source added that both Se-Puma and Motsilanyane had been “heartbroken” when they first heard their contracts wouldn’t be renewed. A second show insider said the move had come as a total surprise to the two and their colleagues.
Twala said: “We thank KB and Peter for their commitment and passion over the past seven years. We wish them success in their future endeavours.”
— City Press
