Viewers of popular SABC2 soap opera 7de Laan have been left fuming after an interracial kiss was broadcast, Sunday weekly Rapport reported.
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Actress Carina Nel, who portrays the character Alexa in the popular Afrikaans soapie, reportedly received hate mail from viewers after kissing actor Nicholas Nkuna, whose character Fikani had been her love interest for some months.
Both actors had been taken aback by the response, according to Rapport.
Among many others, Nel received a message from a viewer, in broken Afrikaans: “I used to like you on 7de Laan. But I am glad you are not my wife after that episode. Actress or not, I would never have kissed you again. Sis, man, you are dragging white girls’ name through the mud,” Rapport quoted the unnamed viewer.
Another viewer wrote on Facebook: “You are broadcasting shit these days…I don’t want to teach my kids these things…drugs, alcohol abuse, hostages, suicidal thoughts, and now, the cherry on the cake, mixing races…I am not racist, but white with white and black with black…shittiest soap of the decade.”
Another one wrote: “Pathetic! My choice to skip the channel.”
Equally, many viewers supported the relationship and lambasted the negative critics.
One wrote: “I loooove it! I’ve just been sitting over here waiting for this couple. Please 7de Laan make this relationship last! I love them together! Yeah!!!”
Another viewer wrote: “7de Laan [is] showing South Africans how we should live and that colour does not matter… Grow up!”
In addition, 7de Laan invited viewers who were in interracial relationships to share pictures on its Facebook page, which resulted in countless responses from so-called “mixed-race” couples.
Nkuna reportedly said he was surprised by the negative feedback. “It’s difficult to believe there are still people who find this strange,” he said.
Nel’s husband, Deon Nagel, reportedly said he had no problem with his wife kissing men while filming, as long as the guy “brushed his teeth and was clean”.
Source: News24