Villagers Were Paid in Corn Meal
Updated 3:10 PM
Swedish public television SVT has come under criticism in Nambia over the filming of a reality show where three Swedish families live under want SVT calls “extremely primitive tribal conditions”.
Swedish Radio News has spoken to Zeka Alberto, a lawyer for the Legal Assistance Center, which protects the human rights of minority groups in Nambia. He says members of the Himbas ethnic group have been exploited, including being paid with corn meal and very small sums of money for their participation in the program.
Alberto also says the Eyeworks production company has violated Nambian law by not obtaining the necessary permits to film minority groups. Instead, he says, Eyeworks signed an agreement with a village, where few could read or write, or were aware of their rights.
Micael Lekberg, head of programming for SVT, tells Swedish Radio News that when they buy in programming from outside sources like Eyeworks, they expect them to have followed the laws and regulations in the countries they are working in. He says SVT is investigating the conditions of the production.
