The South African Guild of Actors (Saga) has initiated a campaign to force the government to move swiftly in signing the amended Performers Protection Act (1967) bill and the Copyright Act (1978) bill into law.
Saga wants the two bills to be finalised so that local actors can start earning royalties instead of dying as paupers. Currently, there is no law in place that compels broadcasters and producers to pay actors royalties.
The campaign called #Don’t pass the buck, Pass the bills, comprises videos of actors highlighting their plight of working for years and have nothing to show for it.
Saga which regards itself as a powerful, unified voice for actors in the film, television, stage, commercial and corporate sectors in SA, called on actors to join in the fight. It wants actors to record videos about the importance of royalties which will be presented in parliament next month.
Saga national chairperson Jack Devnarain told Sowetan that when parliament sent the two bills back for more consultation, it was pleasing many international organisations that have been against the transformation of the local acting industry.
The two bills were passed in 2016 and referred to the signing into the law. Between 2016 and last year, two submissions were made against the signing of the bills into law.
“After staying for 15 months on the president’s desk, the bills were sent back to the portfolio committee for more consultation and to be re-tagged. The retagging process means that they will be sent back to provincial legislature and that takes the process backwards by years,” Devnarain said.
“There are organisations who want to monopolise our industry. There have been efforts in the sector to try to organise the sector to achieve solidarity in order to bring a loud voice to government.
"Unlike in the mining sector, we don’t have structures like unions and labour laws to protect us. But we will continue with our activism, to reiterate to parliament the kind of abuse and unfair treatment that is taking place in the industry.”
Devnarain said the issue of royalties was crucial because it will assist actors at a time when they are unable to work due to various reasons.
Seasoned TV and stage actor Motshabi Tyelele, who is also featured in the videos, said the local industry was exploitative to actors.
"I believe that if the bills are passed into law they will make a huge difference in our industry. We won't have people dying as paupers while they have been working for years."
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