IBFC Statement – Filmmakers Condemn Sexual Harassment And Violence

It has been three weeks since Phil Mphela broke the news of public allegations of sexual misconduct by filmmaker Khalo Matabane. Since then several brave women including, Buhle Zule, Rosie Motene, Ingeborg Lichtenberg, Nico Athene, Palesa Letlaka, and twitter user @iamzathemum among others, have come to relate personal stories of how they have been subjected to various forms of sexual harassment including allegedly being raped by Khalo. Industry activists including Florence Masebe, Simphiwe Dana, and leaders of SWIFT (Sisters Working in Film and Television) have raised their voices and concerns in several publications and on radio and social media, condemning Khalo’s behavior and highlighting other serious cases of sexual misconduct, harassment and assault by their male counterparts, casting agents, producers, cast and crew on and off set. However, the absence of individual and collective voices of male filmmakers, actors, producers and industry leaders, executives and government officials over the last 3 weeks has simply been outrageously unbelievable and honestly unacceptable.

Raising his voice publicly for the first time on the allegations against Khalo, acclaimed filmmaker, director and producer of Kalushi, and founding Member of the IBFC, (Independent Black Filmmakers Collective) Mandla Dube says “I have known Khalo as a starter filmmaker and now a accomplished award winning director of documentaries and fiction work for many years. I too am guilty of abuse for not speaking out, I too am guilty of abuse for not taking a stand when it was someone I know and who I have worked with. I too am at fault for not reaching out to my sisters and colleagues to check “are you getting help?” I should have acted sooner. Having suffered abuse myself at an early age I can no longer just empathize with the women, men and young kids that are are continually victimised . When sex is not consensual it is rape and we cannot call it by any other name. The fact is that when in power men and women abuse that position and our industry is rampant with that behavior. On behalf of the IBFC I pledge that we will work with other industry stakeholders, including SWIFT to take action including educational campaigns, ensuring support for victims and naming and shaming perpetrators while at the same time creating codes and legislation that will penalize companies that tolerate harassment,” says Dube.

“ Personally I believe Buhle, Rosie and any other woman or man that has the courage to come out and say I have been harassed, I have been molested, I have been raped,” says Lebone Maema, interim secretary of the Independent Black Filmmakers Collective. One of the reasons our male colleagues in the industry have not publicly taken a position or acted to condemn Khalo and others like him not only in the film and TV but across multiple industries nationally, is that many are possibly not conscious of how they should be relating to their female colleagues and are therefore guilty of the same offensive and unacceptable behavior” says Maema.

Veteran filmmakers Ramadan Suleman, Glenn Ujebe Masokoane and Mickey Dube who are are also members of the IBFC Working committee also voiced their condemnation of any kind of sexual harassment and abuse. “Rumours have been circulating in whispers the past month naming one and a few amongst us. Courageous women have come forward as victims of sexual abuse in the film and television industry. It is ridiculous that some are questioning, like legal advisers, the validity of these “accusations”. In the name of my mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, I stand with the victims. It is no easy task for you to speak publicly. It takes courage and you do so for the majority, I salute you. We have to condemn the attitude of our male colleagues collectively. Your behaviour is unmanly, abnormal and inhuman. You should not be allowed to work within our mist.” Ramadan Suleman

It is the saddest day in the history of South African film and the broad cultural movement to have one us prominent fall from grace because of his indiscretion and reactionary tendencies of taking liberties with women. As a father of a beautiful daughter I am deeply offended by Khalo Matabane’s action of preying on innocent girl-children who so wished to be part of this glorious industry of film. To be abused and sexually molested by an upstarts like Khalo says a lot about us Black men in the film industry who abuse their power of authority to deflower young girls for a lousy role in a television project. There is no place for such characters like Khalo Matabane in our midst. South African Black cinema has no room for villains who prey hopes and bodies of women. Glenn Ujebe Masokoane.

“First l want to apologize to all the women in general, but more specifically to the women of the IBFC, because what l am going to say may not come out right, that l may be patronizing as a man in my statement may sound like this is about me when it is actually about you as a woman and how you feel when you hear that another one of your kind has been abused in whatever form we men are capable of in our quest for your body, that on this group l have been complicit in allowing for ideas about women’s abuse, especially by one of our own, to find fertile ground, to be given space when in fact l should, as a man, be enraged not just on your behalf, but because as a black man whose own sisters and nieces and mother have been perpetually abused, and l have been extremely enraged by it, but have not been equally enraged on this platform. I will accept to be chastised by you for speaking out like this, feebly, a little too late. I want to pledge, right here right now, that l will never do that again, that l will act much more immediately to your cries in the same way l do when it is my direct sister. I will refuse to be in the company of those that will have given you pain, abused you, treated you in a manner that trivializes you. I will be much more robust in rejecting these men, even if they are my closest friends. I know this sounds desperate, but these are desperate times that demand decisive action and l am ready for that action. I want to declare that l have never abused any woman, never molested one, never used my position as a Producer/Director and company owner to solicit sexual favours from a woman, and certainly never raped any woman. And if there is a woman who arises and accuses me of sexual abuse, molestation, rape or any of those detestable acts Khalo has been accused of that us men make women go through, then reject me totally, shame me, humiliate me in public, refuse to ever interact with me and if l am sent to jail it will serve me right, if l don’t ever get to participate in this film industry that l love then l will be deserving of this completely. And l want to challenge my black brothers to do the same,” Mickey Dube.

The challenge is to dismantle the relationship between Patriarchy, Power and its abuse. The consequent lack of understanding by men who mostly fail to listen , let alone understand some of the challenges faced by female partners and colleagues is a global problem. This is not peculiar to the film industry as has been witnessed by the global #METOO and TIMESUP campaign, as well as local campaigns #ITSNOTOK and #NOTINMYNAME. The IBFC encourages continued discourse and engagement. We will be engaging with members and stakeholders and hope that the TV and film industry will take a stand towards ensuring safe environments for women in the industry.

No more silence, No more self censorship, No more hiding in shame for not calling a snake a snake.

Independent Black Filmmakers Collective (IBFC)

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb