SABC 1’s telenovela Uzalo has reportedly ruffled a few feathers with its story line depicting a pastor‚ who does not conform to accepted standards of morality.
Daily Sun reports that real-life pastors are displeased with one of the characters on the show‚ Pastor Nkosi — whose storyline involves being a sex pest and a church thief — alleging that he makes them look bad.
“The Pastor Nkosi storyline is painting the wrong picture of Christian pastors and Christianity as a whole‚” Pastor Caleb Mbokazi of Inheritor’s Foundation Church of Christ told the local publication.
“I know the show is funded with a budget of millions but it’s clear those millions are used to painting us as bad people‚” he added.
Pastor Vusi Dube of eThekwini Community Church told Daily Sun that the emergence of the Pastor Nkosi character has caused him to be scared to stand in front of his congregation‚ fearing that he could be compared to the immoral pastor in the drama series.
“Many of us are angry. We don’t have a structure where we can voice our anger. I’m afraid even to stand in front of the congregation and preach or ask for offerings‚” said Pastor Dube.
Speaking to TMG Entertainment‚ the show’s publicist‚ Koketso Phala explained that the mandate of Uzalo is to entertain‚ and also reflect what is happening in society.
“Uzalo is meant to entertain‚ that is the core focus of the show‚” she said.
“But more importantly‚ it shows what is really happening out there. It is not to say all pastors are bad‚ but these things happen.”
source Sundayworld
