Petition to 'Save Isidingo' gets more than 3,000 signatures

Heartbroken Isidingo fans have started an online petition, pleading with the SABC to not cut their favourite soapie and amassing more than 3,200 signatures.

Rumours about the show being canned surfaced last week when a source told Sunday World the SABC would cancel the show because it had failed to attract advertisers.

The broadcaster later confirmed the reports and announced that the final episode of the hit soapie would air on March 12.

“The decision to decommission Isidingo was informed by a number of factors which include poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment. The organisation was faced with no option but to review the performance of all programmes on the channel that are not performing, and to ensure the channel’s content is competitive and commercially viable,” the statement read.

Since then, fans have flooded social media with messages of sadness and disappointment.

One fan decided to take action against the decision and started a petition to ask the SABC to reconsider its decision.

“Please join me as I petition the SABC from cancelling our favourite weekly daily soap, Isidingo. This is so wrong and unfair in so many ways. Let us take a stand against the SABC and say enough is enough," wrote organiser Dean Kotzee.

He later added that “the fight to save Isidingo is not over”.

Tumelo E Bapela said if the SABC changed the show's time slot, it could attract more viewers and sponsors.

“If they can change the time slot from 7pm to 9pm it will get more viewers. If the SABC can just try to put it in the 9pm time slot and change channel and take it to SABC 1. We will watch Skeem Saam at 6:30pm, and by 7pm many people watch e.tv's Rhythm City and The River on Mzansi Magic, so it is very hard for Isidingo.”

She predicted such a move could attract around “two million or more viewers” for the show.