‘Even Oubaas agrees’: Did the DA’s election tweet backfire?
‘Even Oubaas agrees’: Did the DA’s election tweet backfire?
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been criticised on social media for what is believed to be another ploy for votes…this time involving former 7de Laan actor Pierre van Pletzen, who famously played the character of Oubaas van Zyl.
The SABC 2 soapie was canned late last year, reportedly due to a decline in audience, increased costs, and decreased advertising revenues.
The soapie aired from 2000 to 2023.
BACKLASH OVER DA’S ‘OOM OUBAAS’ TWEET
On the X app, DA Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde tweeted a picture of Pierre van Pletzen wearing his blue political party T-shirt.
“Even Oubaas agrees that the Western Cape works,” he captioned the tweet.
The image was first posted on Facebook by Pierre’s wife, Sandra Vaughn, who is also an actress.
She posted, “The only vote is for the DA. The Western Cape runs like clockwork. Let’s keep it that way.”
While celebs showing allegiance to political parties is nothing new, many were unhappy with the mention of the 7de Laan character, who left the soapie on bad terms.
Tweeps were sure to remind the opposition party about Oubaas’s past transgressions.
@JayJNia: “Oubaas cheated on Hilda, and I’ve never looked at him the same way.”
@_lwakhem: “He also cheated on his wife, so maybe his judgment is not the best.”
@lifeoftoka: “He is untrustworthy. Ask Hilda”
Others mentioned that the white actor knew little about disadvantaged communities.
@kekgotso_: “Does he live in Delft? Nope!”
@UnmovedLee: “He has never lived in Khayelitsha.”
Even Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie weighed in…
NO LOVE FOR THE LAAN?
Pierre van Pletzen’s exit as Oubaas van Zyl from 7de Laan was a bitter pill to swallow for many soapie fans.
Not only was the idea of his marriage to screen-wife Hilda over but he was also accused of leaving her for another woman.
In reality, the actor claimed that the revelation of his character’s departure—made after his exit—made him “physically nauseous and shocked.”
Speaking to TV Plus after confirming his contract had not been renewed, he said of the storyline: “It will be an injustice towards the loyal viewers, Oubaas and myself. A lot of viewers have said that they will not be watching 7de Laan anymore. This storyline will drive more away. It pains me”.
Speaking to TshisaLive, Pierre van Pletzen bemoaned the soapie’s downward spiral over the years. He said: “It became a situation of the bad leading the bad. They fell into a dwindling spiral downwards that was very hard to observe and be a part of”.
He continued: “The new management had the writers write stories for me and Hilda that were boring and repetitive, hashing up old storylines in a way that definitely did not push the production forward in any way”.