FILM director Linda Hlongwane says actor Luthuli Dlamini and his business partner Nolubabalo “Babsi” Mcinga stole her movie, Ubukhosi, about Xhosa royal culture.
Linda said the film was shot in December last year but hasn’t been released.
Xhosa chief Zanemali Bani, who was appointed by Queen Noloyiso Sandile to ensure the movie doesn’t tarnish Xhosa culture, said the royal house didn’t know about Babsi and Luthuli but endorsed Linda’s movie.
Chief Bani said when Babsi and Luthuli told him they had permission to shoot the film, he called King Zwelonke Sigcawu who denied giving them permission.
Linda told Daily Sun she suspected two actors with whom she worked on the movie to handed the production’s script to Luthuli and Babsi.
The two actors, Linda said, now worked with Luthuli and Babsi.
Linda said she found out about their version of the movie, Ixakatho, when actors featured in her movie told her they had done auditions to appear in Luthuli and Babsi’s film, whose content was similar to her movie’s.
Linda reported the matter to the Peddie police, Eastern Cape, and to Chief Bani.
She said at a meeting with all the parties they were told to present their scripts to the police and the chief as proof.
“Babsi and Luthuli didn’t have a script. They said they were only using our script for auditions.”
Linda said Luthuli apologised after the meeting and said he didn’t know her film was already with the queen.
“I later heard they were continuing with the movie,” she said.
Asked for comment, Luthuli said: “My team and I came up with it. We met with Linda and the police but none of us produced a script so the matter was dropped.”
Babsi said: “Linda is just jealous because of what we’re doing.”