Luyanda Zwane Opens Up About Alleged Gun Incident That Led to Exit from Sibongile & The Dlaminis

South African actress Luyanda Zwane has revealed the disturbing experience she says forced her to leave the hit television drama Sibongile & The Dlaminis, alleging that a fellow cast member pointed a gun at her while they were travelling to the set.

Speaking during an interview on the Read the Room podcast, Zwane said she was just 19 years old when she landed the lead role in the popular series, which attracted millions of viewers across South Africa.

According to the actress, the incident happened during an early morning trip to set. She explained that cast members living in the same area shared transport arranged by the production team. On the day in question, she said she wanted a quiet ride so she could mentally prepare for a demanding filming schedule involving around 20 scenes.

Zwane claimed another cast member wanted to connect his phone to the vehicle’s Bluetooth system to play music. After she politely requested silence, she alleged the situation escalated dramatically.

She claimed the individual pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, pointed it at her, and warned her that he would play whatever music he wanted because it was not her vehicle.

The actress said she immediately reported the incident to the production team and informed her talent agency because she no longer felt safe working under those conditions.

According to Zwane, she was disappointed by the initial response she received, claiming production asked whether she had been physically harmed and urged her to return to work because filming was behind schedule.

She later informed her mother, a police officer, about the incident. Zwane said her mother insisted that the alleged threat should be treated seriously regardless of whether the weapon was real.

Although she considered involving law enforcement, Zwane said she agreed to resolve the matter through mediation after production requested a compromise. Her only condition was that she should no longer travel in the same vehicle as the individual involved.

She said the arrangement lasted only a short time before she was informed that providing separate transport was becoming too costly for the production.

Faced with that decision, Zwane said she informed producers that she did not wish to return if the series received another season. Despite making that decision, she remained contractually obligated to complete the remaining five months of filming for Season 1.

The actress alleged that the atmosphere on set became increasingly uncomfortable afterward. She claimed colleagues mocked her with nicknames referencing lawyers, contracts and the police, while she also felt discouraged from speaking publicly about the incident.

Reflecting on the experience, Zwane encouraged young performers entering the entertainment industry to speak up whenever they feel unsafe and never remain silent about workplace concerns.

Following her departure, she said she struggled to secure acting opportunities for nearly a year before returning to television with The Polygamist and Season 2 of Spinners. She also expressed ambitions of building an international acting career and hopes to work with acclaimed filmmaker Tyler Perry in the future.

At the time of publication, neither the production company behind Sibongile & The Dlaminis nor the individual accused by Zwane had publicly responded to the allegations she made during the podcast interview.