How could teenagers be getting married? Well, these two were adamant and even treated Mzansi to an inside view with their Moja Love reality TV show “Isencane Lengane”.
Siyacela and Thando’s marriage had South Africans weighing in on the issue with many arguing that Thando was too young to get married.
By law, she was allowed to get married but their union still did not sit well with many people.
The couple who hail from Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal, tied the knot in hopes of living happily ever after.
While the show is criticised by viewers, the viewership figures places it in the top 10 most watched shows on Mzansi Magic.
On Sunday, the reality show returned for its fourth season. Once again, the show topped the trends list.
Their journey has not been without challenges. Siyacela dropped out of school in Grade 9 and he has been leaning towards taking on a second wife.
Four years later, this couple are still together. Thando is expecting their first child. But they are living on their own and Thando plans to write her supplementary exams.
Although reality TV may be entertaining, it can be morally questionable.
“Isencane Lengane” is one such show for normalising teenage marriages. But love it or loathe it, there is a “Jerry Springer” type conditioned audience for shows like this and others in a similar vein like MTV’s “16 and pregnant” and Moja Love’s “Uyajola 9/9”.