Mpho Sebeng, a late South African actor, had his candidacy for the 11th Annual Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards withdrawn.
The actor, who died in a vehicle accident in May, was nominated for Best Actor for his part in ‘Ingoma’.
However, his nomination was questioned because he is from Soweto, Gauteng, and the awards only recognize talent from KwaZulu-Natal.
The 31-year-old actor was recognized for his appearances in ‘Zero Tolerance’, ‘Justice for All’, and ‘The Queen’ on Mzansi Magic.
The Simon Mabhunu Sabela KZN Film and Television Awards honour remarkable success and quality in the South African film and television industry, with a particular emphasis on KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement, the KZN Tourism and Film Authority recognized the lapse and said that Sebeng’s candidacy had been revoked since he did not live in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The judging panel/auditors regret to inform you that there was an oversight in the category of Best Actor for Film or Television. One of the nominees, Mpho Sebeng (may his soul rest in peace), did not reside in KwaZulu-Natal.
“For this reason, his name was eliminated from the top four nominees. While this omission is disappointing, it makes no significant change to the number of nominees in this category, given four actors were already nominated. There will now be only three nominations.
The three nominees are Masoja Msiza, Kwenzo Ngcobo, and Siyabonga Shibe.
The award presentation is slated for July 20 at The Playhouse in Durban.
