Queen a no-show for deaf kids
2009-11-02 10:25
Generations star Sophie Ndaba left deaf kids, Minister Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya and SABC executives high and dry on Friday night at the Zwakala Awards.
Best known as Queen Moroka on the popular SABC1 soap, the award-winning star was a no-show at the SABC3 and DTV Awards honouring deaf kids from across the country at the University of Johannesburg’s Arts Theatre in Johannesburg. Ndaba was slated to be one of the judges at the event.
The other judges were sign-language lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand Paul Simmons, national director of Deaf Education Ingrid Parkin and Sophia Kostelac, who lecturers English at Wits.
Guests looked on in amazement as a nowhere-to-be-found Ndaba was introduced by host Candice Morgan, who thought Ndaba had made an appearance.
Ndaba said she had told DTV's production manager, Barbara Peters, that she was not feeling well.
Blatant lie
"And driving from Krugersdorp was going to be hectic for me. I had even asked that they should pick me up so I could at least show face," she said. "This is charity for me and I was doing it with all my heart. It’s all about giving back to the kids and I loved every minute of it."
The actor said she was from the doctor when City Press spoke to her.
However, Peters said it was a "blatant lie" that the star had asked her to send someone to pick her up to the event.
"If she had phoned me during the day or in the afternoon we would have made a plan to pick her up. I called her at about 6.15pm to make sure she was going to make it. She said she was going to ask somebody to drive her and we expected her.
"Even the Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya made it.
"She should have just said that she couldn't make it, as others did."